Trial By Fire
by TuxedoMask2011
Summary: Part 5 of the ongoing Sailor Moon story line. The original Sailors have been captured by the Sinister Seven. Its now up to the next generation of sailors to rescue them. With Chibiusa, all grown up and taking her mother's identity of Sailor Moon, leading the charge, they must stop Norman Osborn from dethroning Neo-Queen Serenity and turning the Earth back to a land of chaos!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Since the dawn of time, the Silver Millennium Kingdom onf the Moon looked after the humans on Earth. Peace and prosperity reigned, until the wicked amorphous being that would be known as Queen Metalia appeared and sewed her seeds of evil into the hearts of the people of Earth men. Queen Metalia would stop at nothing to solidify her rule and establish her Dark Kingdom's stronghold, on Earth, even if that meant destroying the Moon Kingdom. A great and terrible battle ensued.

In a last, desperate attempt to save the universe, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom sent away the fallen souls of her beloved daughter, her daughter's human lover, and her kingdom's sailor guardians so that they may be reborn on Earth many years later. Then, using the Silver Moon Crystal, she sacrificed herself to imprison Metalia, away hopefully forever.

The former Moon inhabitants' souls, though cast out, lost none of their powers or potency. They were indeed reborn in Tokyo, Japan as teenagers thousands of years later. When Queen Metalia finally escaped from her prison, their true identities were activated by the fallen Queen Serenity's guardian cats Luna and Artemis. These five young warriors came to be known as the Sailor Soldiers. They were destined to assume the responsibility of safeguarding the planet.

Usagi, the reincarnation of Queen Serenity's daughter, led the Sailor Soldiers in the struggle to defend Earth.

Using the nefarious sage, Queen Beryl, as her primary puppet, Queen Metalia resumed her quest for human and galactic dominion. Beryl dispatched her minions time and time again. It was up to Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask to stop them. Little did they know, they were not alone in their mission. Another creature, known as Carnage, an extremely powerful fusion of a human skin and alien symbiote, joined the battle against the Dark Kingdom.

In spite of the constant violence, love persevered. Along with the budding relationship, predestined by their past identities, of Sailor Moon (Usagi) and Tuxedo Mask (Mamaru), Carnage (Sean) and Sailor Jupiter (Makoto) were developingdeveloped feelings for one another too.

Working together, the Sailor Soldiers, Tuxedo Mask, and Carnage trained hard to grow stronger and defeat Beryl's minions. But they knew this problem would never be solved unless the root was eliminated. The much anticipated day came to face Beryl herself. While Carnage was doing his best against the monsters swarming Earth, the Sailors journeyed to Beryl's lair. Knowing it would give them a distinct advantage, Queens Metalia and Beryl merged bodies, forming the dreaded enity known as Super Beryl.

Before that though, one by one, the Sailors had fallen ell until only Sailor Moon was left. Using the same Silver Crystal nurtured by her mother and the enormous love generated by herself and her friends, Usagi managed to defeat Super Beryl and wish away the day's horrific death and destruction.

A few months later, the Sailor Soldiers were reawakened by the Guardian Cats, Luna and Artemi,s when the darkness Dark Kingdom struck again in the form of the Doom Tree. Soon after, Carnage and the Sailor Soldiers teamed up for round three when Gaap, the Prince of Demons, took control of one of their classmates, James. His possession deeply upset Makoto, who had been his friend for some time. Defeating him meant nearly losing their lives all over again, but they still managed to emerged victorious in the end. Once again, the shadow of chaochaotics darkness was sent back to the depths.

Tragically, Earth was now under attack from forces that weren't supernatural in origin: economic depression, warring countries, and crooked leaders. And just because Queen Metalia, the Figure Head of the Dark Kingdom was destroyed, that did not mean the Dark Kingdom was gone forever.

Taking advantage of the unrest on Earth, the resurrected Dark Kingdom manifested in other ways under new management: Apachite. He hooked his tendrils of manipulation into world powers and key players like terrorism groups and Edward Ashford of the Illuminati Counsel. Their growing threat was compoundeding at an alarming pace. Even with Carnage and Tuxedo mask on their side, the Sailor Soldiers needed help!

As if by magic, the Outer Senshi (Sailor Saturn, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto) appeared to join the fight. Together, they managed to defeat Apachite, but not before he unleashed nuclear missiles and other waves of incalculable destruction on dozens of countries around the world. The Sailors were too late. This was an adversary they were truly powerless to stop.

Sailor Moon was forced to call upon the Silver Moon Crystal, once more, for protection. The crystal heard her wish. It encased the group, and the rest of world's people, in enchanted material, sending them into a state of suspended animation for the duration of the environmental chaos to come. The missiles struck, obliterating all signs of civilization, but the Sailors and many of the world's population were left untouched. The explosions plunged Earth into nuclear Winter, otherwise known as the Great Sleep.

Nine hundred years later, the team awoke from their slumber. But the world they found… wasn't the same. Nature had taken her planet back. Where there were once cities, there were vast empty fields with scattered ruins. The survivors were scattered, divided, and leaderless. The warriors knew their duty was not yet done:. tThey had a purpose in this wilderness. The Sailors rallied the remaining humans together so that they may create a new Earth Kingdom. And in the middle of it all, like something from a dream, was Crystal Tokyo: the new world's stronghold for human civilization.

Love and life had survived. This was cause for celebration. At long last, Usagi and Mamaru, and Sean and Makoto, were wed. Mamaru and Usagi were crowned King and Queen of this new age, assuming the names Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. The other Sailor Sailors and Carnage worked together to defend their benevolent majesties and their people from new enemies and dark adversaries. Love and life were not the only things to survive the Great Sleep.

The Sailors were needed more than ever. Even after the nuclear holocaust, wars were still being waged for territory and supremacy. Selfishness and greed abounded. Drugs were still in production. The playing field looked different, but humanity hadn't changed.

This timeEventually, the trouble was brewingbrewed much closer to home. Carnage, known in his human form as Sean, began exhibiting strange, explosive behavior. It was as though he was having difficulty controlling the alien symbiote inside him. A hooded magician, by the name of Aldrich Reid, took the opportunity to attack Carnage and seemingly burn the last of his human side out of him. The Sailors had a real fight on their hands now, a fight with one of their own!

Luckily, they had a secret weapon - Sailor Jupiter.

Jupiter's love for her husband managed to save him in the end. Neo-Queen Serenity restored Sean's human heart, forming a new warrior creature known as Hybrid. Aldrich Reid was exiled. The destruction exacted by Carnage was a testament to how lucky they were that, before this incident, he had been on their side. From that day forth, Hybrid vowed to redeem himself by whatever means necessary and attended regular purifications by Neo-Queen Serenity at the Crystal Palace.

The new Earth was finally united under the rule of Endymion and Serenity.

The tandem births of Serenity and Jupiter's daughters Usagi and Terra marked the beginning of the new generation of Sailor Soldiers.

Unbeknownst to them, eElsewhere, a new evil is about to rise. Together, with the Sailor Amazon Quartet, Usagi, and Terra will soon become the heroines around which the security of Crystal Tokyo, and the balance of the entire cosmos, will depend on.

**End of Prologue**


	2. Stars and Destiny

**Chapter 1: Stars and Destiny**

**"We are each on our own journey. Each of us is on our very own adventure; encountering all kinds of challenges, and the choices we make on that adventure will shape us as we go; these choices will stretch us, test us and push us to our limit; and our adventure will make us stronger than we ever know we could be." **

**- **_**Aamnah Akram**_

Dr. Miraco scours over the paperwork spread out across the desk in front of him. The deep wrinkles of age that line his wise eyes crinkle a bit as he weighs his options. The old astronomer thought his career was over nearly three hundred years ago when his eyesight began to fail him. He loved nothing as much as the fascinating history of the universe and the stories that each star, planet, and galaxy had to tell. He thought he would never be able to look through a telescope again and see more untold wonders. Then Sailor Mercury had cured his failing vision. Her great genius and resulting medical discoveries had saved the old scientist from going completely blind and nearly losing the career of a lifetime. He laughs at the irony that Mercury had always been his favorite planet, along with all of the myths and stories that surrounded it. In the end, it was the Princess of Mercury and one of the guardians of Earth's new queen who was the one to save him.

The brilliant blue-haired woman knew of him and his studies for some time. After she successfully fixed his eyesight, she brought him before Neo-Queen Serenity herself. 'The greatest astronomer of our time,' she had called him. He never thought someone of his age could blush or feel as humbled as he did in that very moment. It was decreed that he was to be put in charge of the largest observatory in Crystal Tokyo and that his main task would be to track the Dark Moon. When he accepted this seemingly easy assignment, he had no idea just how troublesome it would turn out to be. The strange planet seemed to disappear and reappear at will, as if some divine entity was playing hide-and-seek with it.

"Doctor!" Serio shouts from just outside his office window. Dr. Miraco hired Serio a few years ago. The young man wanted to study under him after he earned his astronomy degree from a prestigious university in what was formerly known as America; the Doctor had no reason to reject his application. The young man reminded him so much of himself at that age. He seemed so excited by everything that the great beyond had to offer.

"What is it, Serio?" the Doctor replies, glancing up from his papers.

"Something new has just passed behind Pluto," he exclaims with wide eyes.

Dr. Miraco surges to his feet, nearly upending his chair, and hastens to the telescope. He bends forward slightly to press his eye against the lens.

"Ahhhh," he says, barely pulling away from the telescope. "It is the Dark Moon, Serio. Take a good look, as it may be quite some time before you get to see it again." The old man steps aside to let his young student take another look. His tired body feels suddenly rejuvenated and radiates with energy as he watches his pupil's reaction.

"That's what we've been looking for, right?" Serio asks, stepping up to the telescope once more. His auburn hair falls across his eyes as he leans forward to have another look, and he quickly tries to sweep it back behind his ears.

"That's right, my boy."

"And..." Serio gathers himself and looks up at the elder. His eyes are full of concern, and he averts them quickly as if thinking twice about his comment. The old man reaches out and gently lays his hand on the young man's shoulder. Serio looks back at him. "And what is the significance of the Dark Moon?" The boy finishes.

The old man takes the young one by surprise with a sudden burst of laughter. Serio recoils slightly. The deep chuckle rattles Miraco's aging body until he finds himself in a coughing fit. Serio instinctively grabs Dr. Miraco by the arm and leads him to a nearby chair, fearful the old man would throw his back out. A couple of minutes after he does so, Serio is down on one knee beside him that the Doctor finally manages to compose himself. Serio offers up a glass of cold water, fetched when the Doctor was seated.

"I'm sorry, Serio," the Doctor remits after a few gulps of water and a few more soft chuckles. "I've forgotten how young you actually are. Can you believe that, before the Great Sleep, eighty years was the average life expectancy?"

Serio shakes his head in disbelief. "They mentioned that in grade school, but that was so long ago."

"About a hundred years ago for you, huh?" The Doctor's wise brown eyes twinkle down at Serio. "Sailor Mercury's studies suggest that we can now expect to live until we're a thousand years old, do you know how hard that is for me to comprehend? I was nearly 80 before the Great Sleep, and now I can expect that I might live for another seven hundred years!" He laughs aloud again and Serio is quick to save the glass of water before it spills.

"Neo-Queen Serenity and her Sailor Soldiers had known about the creation of Crystal Tokyo for some time before the Great Sleep," the Doctor begins before standing up to pace around the room. Serio watches, but stays to listen from where he kneels. "They had learned that a race of beings would appear from the Dark Moon and threaten the peace of the Kingdom that we know today."

"Three hundred years ago, after Crystal Tokyo had been established and Earth was slowly beginning to unite under it, they met the beginnings of the Dark Moon race. A man by the name of Aldrich Reid tried to start an uprising and disrupt the fragile peace that our king and queen were tirelessly working to build. He nearly succeeded, as I'm sure you know from your historical studies."

"Hybrid," Serio supplies gravely. It is well known that Hybrid had once been the hero Carnage, who joined the Sailor Soldiers long before the Great Sleep. After Crystal Tokyo had been established, dark magic had turned Carnage back into his true form, and the evil creature that he became nearly destroyed the city. When Aldrich was defeated, Neo-Queen Serenity used her Silver Moon Crystal to give Carnage's symbiote back its soul. Carnage assumed the new name, Hybrid, and became the protector of Earth, taking over that responsibility from King Endymion.

"But if Aldrich had been defeated and sent to live on the Dark Moon, why do we still need to keep track of it?" Serio inquires.

Doctor Miraco gives his pupil a kindly smile, understanding where his question is coming from. "Because the threat of the Dark Moon clan may still become a reality."

Under Neo-Queen Serenity's guidance, the people of Earth rebuilt much of what was lost during the nuclear attacks and the nine centuries of the Great Sleep. With her kind heart and virtuous soul as its guiding light, the planet became a sort of utopia. Crime was nearly non-existent and the people were happy.

During that time, Crystal Tokyo grew to a nearly immeasurable size. Its central point, the Crystal Palace, has become a symbol of peace, love and hope for the entire planet. Thousands have travelled to see it, and many have come to stay. Children play in the open streets, while parents and other adults frequent the local shops, market stalls, and restaurants. Cruelty and unkindness are foreign words and in this massive and beautiful city, smiles seem to grow brighter every day. Earth has become a land of peace, harmony and prosperity and under the leadership of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, it flourishes. History has never seen a greater civilization than the one established by this re-awakened age of humanity.

Having survived numerous threats to its existence, the Crystal Kingdom has been enjoying an unprecedented three-century-long period of peace. Not since the defeat of Aldrich Reid has there been much cause for fear or worry in this new world. The only problems many of the people face are the problems of natural illnesses, such as cancer, that have baffled the greatest scientific minds even before the Great Sleep.

This has given Sailor Mercury knowledge of her true purpose. She is a doctor and the chief of staff at the Crystal Tokyo General Hospital. She and her team of medical professionals take care of the citizens who fall ill and treat the injured. While she is responsible for the treating and curing of thousands of people from their various illnesses, she also invented much of the planet's new technology, and this has made her a very famous and well-known person. The planet has turned solely to green energy, understanding how important it was to keep the Earth healthy and thriving. She single-handedly created numerous gadgets, machines, and other items to be used around the world; including the teleportation device used by the other Sailors and the Crystal supercomputer, which is used to monitor the activities of the planet's inhabitants.

Neo-Queen Serenity's life force is attached to the Silver Moon Crystal, therefore she and King Endyimon rarely leave the Crystal Palace. When they do, they typically do not stray very far and it is usually to visit their loved ones or to conduct royal business elsewhere. They established regional governors that report to them about any criminal activity or societal issues that may affect territories within their jurisdiction. While the threats to the Kingdom's peace have been greatly reduced, especially since Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus had managed to successfully disarm all known weapon and munitions factories, there is still much left to be done. When the governors come with news of these unfortunate problems, Hybrid and his team or Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus are the ones to take care of it.

The transporter is located in its own room and is often used by Hybrid or Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. Even after three centuries, there are still people that create and sell drugs, abuse others, and try to create new weapons. Many of these people have been forced to move underground, but Hybrid and the other two Sailors are still able to find most of them. When they do, they disarm them, capture them, and bring them to the Crystal Palace to be cleansed by the Silver Moon Crystal and purged of their negative influences.

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune often travel around the world in their free time. The two lovers maintain their love of music and during one of their adventures, they came across a man whose job is to build and repair musical instruments. Sailor Neptune is pleased to have a violin in her hands once again, after losing her previous one during the fallout of Apachite's end game. Meanwhile, Sailor Uranus can't pull herself away from the new piano that caught her eye in the workshop. Soon after, the lovers put their duo act back together and began to travel around the world to share their musical joy with anyone that wishes to listen.

Hybrid, on the other hand, chooses to remain back home in Crystal Tokyo where he spends his time with his loving wife, Sailor Jupiter, and his beautiful daughter, Tera. They live in a picturesque house just outside the Crystal Palace and the small humble home is the perfect size for the family of three and the ideal place to raise Tera. It was necessary for them to live outside of the palace after Neo-Queen Serenity instilled several magical safeguards on the crystalline structure following the invasion of Hybrid's former identity as Carnage.

These safeguards are meant to keep any unauthorized individuals out of the palace and deny them entry. Anyone who is not of the royal bloodline requires permission to enter and remain inside the Crystal Palace by a royal family member. This consent can be rescinded at any time, which would result in the person or persons being instantly teleported out of the palace and denied re-entry for a period of time. The Sailors opt to live outside among the civilians as both a sign of unity and to avoid any misinterpretations that could occur if they became involved in a heated discussion with either King Endymion or Neo-Queen Serenity. Especially for Sailor Mars, who still argues with Neo-Queen Serenity on occasion.

Sailor Jupiter guards the Crystal Palace, having vowed to protect the King and Queen. During her spare time, she works with Sailor Venus to make the surrounding community a better place. She teaches citizens how to stay in shape and how exercise builds both confidence and breeds happiness. She also teaches various martial arts disciplines such as Judo, Karate, and Kung-Fu. Sailor Venus, on the other hand, is in charge of the more traditional athletic events such as volleyball and gymnastics. As a community leader, she stresses the importance of team efforts and working together often in regards to sports.

Sailor Mars has also become a community leader of her own in the city. Using her training as a temple maiden, she opened a beautiful new temple where she offers her services as a spiritual guide and runs personal and group meditation sessions. She also provides yoga lessons and leads prayer groups throughout the week.

Meanwhile, Sailor Pluto returned to her post at the Door of Time, but is often visited by Chibiusa. Chibiusa, or young Usagi, was born approximately one year after Tera was born to Sailor Jupiter and Hybrid. They were both raised together and as a result, they are the closest of friends. Usagi's guardians, the Sailor Quartet, also joined the duo in their friendship and since Sailor Saturn is very close to their age range, she completed the group of young women who in many ways strangely resembles the generation of Sailors before them.

The young girls spend most of their days together and are nearly inseparable. It has been foretold they will become the next generation of Sailors when the others became too old to battle. Young Usagi —who is the new Sailor Moon—, Tera —the first Sailor warrior of Earth—, the Sailor Quartet —Sailor Juno, Sailor Ceres, Sailor Pallas, and Sailor Vesta— were trained from day one for that fateful day when they would have to take charge as the new Sailor Guardians of Earth.

**End of Chapter 1**


	3. The Daily Life

**Chapter 2: The Daily Life**

**"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." Martin Luther King, Jr.**

"Isn't he so dreamy?" Usagi sighs into Tera's ear.

Tera giggles in response, unable to deny herself.

Chibiusa, Tera, and the Sailor Quartet sit in a row of seats in the Crystal playhouse. This has become a regular place for young girls and boys to hang out. In their history lessons, they learned that plays were around long before the Great Sleep occurred. Unfortunately, they were replaced by motion pictures. The idea of television and movies was a myth for them, something that had been around before the Great Sleep and rarely spoken of or reminisced about today. It was decided that plays and literature were better and healthier forms of entertainment than motion pictures and television. The youth of this age have no reason to think otherwise.

The play of Romeo and Juliet became a public favorite over the past month when it began showing at the playhouse. The girls went to see it almost every week since its opening. The idea of forbidden love and the willingness to die for that love is something every young girl can swoon over. The boys on the other hand enjoy the sword fights and action scenes.

On the stage below them, the curtains are drawn over the iconic final scene of the dead lovers locked in a tight embrace. The entire audience stands, claps, and cheers as the play ends. The actors make their rounds across the stage to bow. Usagi and Tera scream uncontrollably as the actor who played Romeo gives a light flourish followed by a low bow.

Sometime later, the girls are sitting in a brightly lit public park. Tera and Usagi are laughing and giggling as they compare the autographs on their play programs. Juno and Vesta are mimicking the fight scenes from the play. They hold large sticks in their hands, brandishing them like swords, and shouting their own versions of Shakespeare's lines. Pallas and Ceres watch from the ground, giggling uncontrollably at their friends' silliness.

Tera heaves a sigh and flops back onto the grass. The earthy fragrance fills her senses and she swells with contentment. "I hope I can have a love like Romeo and Juliet someday."

"Me too," Usagi replies dreamily. "I mean our parents did (sort of), so there has to be hope for us." She giggles before joining her friend in the grass.

"I don't know," Ceres remarks as she stands up to walk around her friends. "I mean, think about it. Romeo and Juliet were 16, which back then was younger than our physical ages now and after only knowing each other for two, maybe three days, they got married against their families' wishes."

"So?" Usagi sits up to look at Ceres, who was pacing in thought. Ceres is known to do this often. She is smart and wise beyond her years, and spends a lot of time rationalizing everything. Her long tightly braided pink hair seems like an ironic characteristic for someone so serious and mature – all tied up with the rules. Usagi always thought this was funny. She has pink hair too, done up in buns leaking long pig tails like her mother. Other than that though, she is Ceres' opposite. She is playful and carefree and often seems to live in a dream world. "Love doesn't have any boundaries," she continues. "If two people love each other, they should do anything for that."

"I have to agree with Ceres on this one," Pallas supplies. She looks away from the pretend battle Vesta and Juno are engaged in, her two short blue braids brush against her ears. "Even though it's a different time and we age differently, I don't think I'd be ready to commit myself to someone for the rest of my life. I mean, age-wise, we're only teenagers, and as a teenager I don't feel mature enough to make a decision like that."

Tera sits up to gawk at her friend and laugh. "Pallas, you're not mature at all!"

Pallas laughs too. It's true that she is bubbly and playful, and she often feels childish in comparison with her friends. She is the youngest of the group and certainly has no problem acting like it. They love and accept her for her childlike personality, so she never saw reason to change it.

"I just think they were rash," Ceres says when the laughter dies down. "Romeo and Juliet had total disregard toward their families, so much so that they died together and many others were killed. Is that really a good basis for a relationship? Especially one that lasted less than a week."

Usagi smiles and rolls her eyes, "I hate when you make sense, Ceres. There's one thing we can agree on through – the actor that plays Romeo is gorgeous!" The four girls laugh and giggle as they agree with Usagi's statement. Tera raises her play program to point at the picture of the blonde haired man.

"Thou shalt die painfully and bleed upon the grass!" Their laughter is cut short by Vesta's loud exclamation. They all turn to look at their red haired friend who flourishes her stick in a comical fashion. Juno holds the other end of the stick under her arm and sinks to her knees. Juno's high green hair trembles violently as she feigns a scream. She collapses onto the grass, pretends to convulse, and die. Promptly after this, she starts laughing hysterically. All of the other girls can't help but join in.

Between bouts of laughter, Usagi, Ceres, Pallas, and Tera shout encores and bravos while Vesta and Juno bow. Eventually it becomes hard for the girls to breathe and their faces become red. They try to catch their breath, but the moment they do, the riotous fits start all over again. When the din tapers off, they all lay in a pile on the grass. They release a collective sigh and smile to themselves, thinking about how grateful and lucky they are to have such a close group of friends. They know it is a blessing, something very few people are able to have, even in the utopia the world has become.

"What time is it?" Tera asks sitting up quickly. Her sudden movement forces Usagi to sit up as well.

"Almost 6:00," Usagi replies, looking at her watch and then back at Tera.

"I have to go!" Tera exclaims, gently pushing Pallas off her legs. When Pallas moves, Tera surges to her feet. "I have a lesson at 6:00!"

"You're taking a lesson without us this decade?" Ceres asks, not lifting her head from Juno's stomach.

"I signed up for a botany class," Tera replies, brushing the wrinkles out of her clothes. "Being Sailor Earth, I thought it would be a good thing to learn. Plus, you know, it makes me feel that much more connected to the planet."

"That's awesome Tera!" Pallas chirps. "I was thinking of taking an early education class. It might be fun to work with children."

"Especially since you are a child," Vesta adds.

The girls laugh for a moment before Tera sprints away. Her bare feet press against the dirt and freshly cut grass. She had put her shoes in the small backpack when they arrived. She doesn't just love the Earth and nature for her namesake. While she is Sailor Earth, and her full name, Tera Estmund, means "Gracious Protector of Earth", it is as if the beautiful planet and her love for it is part of her very soul.

When the new age of humanity began, renewing the education system proved to be less difficult than expected. Before the Great Sleep, levels of education were decided by age, but money had become a huge factor. The type of education one would receive was directly correlated with financial classes, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds. Not everyone could have quality education, and it was often difficult for one to take all the classes or learn all the things they wanted to. To make matters worse, the quality of education differed from country to country.

But the concept of money was obliterated in this new age. The barter system was established in its place, along with a stronger sense of community. The children born within the first century of the Crystal Millennium were the first to be introduced to the new education system. Facilities were created to teach the younger generation. It was very much like the elementary and lower grade schools of old. Over the years and through the century, the people realized how delayed the aging process had become. The time for children's crucial development was vastly expanded, making it easier to teach more and teach them in depth.

By the second century, the new generation attended a form of high school. This was a time for strengthening, enhancing, and scaffolding; using lessons spread out through the span of the century. Classes were not held every day, and of course there was plenty of time in between lessons. Student understanding, participation, and scores revealed that this new way of learning was healthy and incredibly successful. This new generation would surely be intelligent and productive members of the Crystal Kingdom.

When the third century neared, the younger generation reached what seemed to be their late teens. They learned all the fundamental basics – language, literature, history, government, sciences, etc. In the past, this was the time when they would become adults and were sent out into the world for college or work. The World Education Organization, co-founded by Sailor Mercury, assembled to discuss this age of development with Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and their associates. She posted one essential question. Why stop education here?

It was decided that anyone who wanted to keep learning would be able to. Educators from hundreds of different fields stepped up in response and offered to give lessons to these young enthusiasts. This was the college replacement, but it was also much more than that.

Anyone who wanted to learn a new skill or subject was free to do so. They simply had to find the right educator in the W.E.O. book and begin setting up a course schedule. Lesson plans were often individualized, while some could be set up for groups. This would ensure that anyone who wanted to learn would be able to, and it would produce large numbers of people with vast knowledge adept to become capable and confident members of society.

Many of these classes lasted about a decade, and there was no limit to how many one could take. This large time span and ability to learn without limitations had only increased the incredible prosperity of the new world. The phrase "you can be anything you want to, and do anything you want to do" became a motto for this new generation.

Negonall is an ancient trading district created several millennia before the Earth had been formed. It is owned and run by a select demon clan called the Jikinin, a particularly selfish and greedy group. These creatures often take the form of humans, and in some cases are humans before the demonic power inside of them took over. They care nothing for others and wish only for jewels and riches, and sometimes the taste of human flesh. This had led them to become excellent salesmen.

Negonall is a dimension that connects to several different places. While it is one of the main trading ports for those that travel the many worlds and universes, it is also the perfect crossroads to get wherever those travelers need. The Jikinin are willing to trade with almost anyone for almost anything; but if trade became slow, as it often did, they would travel outside of their small dimension to restock their supplies. Humans are a delicacy among the demon races, aliens, and even evil humans that dabble in such trade and company.

Back when it was discovered that Earth had become a home for a new race of humans, there was no doubt for the Jikinin that they needed to expand Negonall's supply territory. Earth was still young and thus was ignorant to the ways of the universe. While some knew of the dark arts, demons, and other life forms, many marked it down as simple myth and folklore. This made things much easier for the Jikinin to capture humans for trade. Eventually it surprised even them to find that many of their customers were from Earth as well. Whether it was for sex, slavery, or even the harvest of body parts and organs, the human market had expanded even beyond their ambitious expectations.

Iris had been captured a long, long time ago. She felt as if she had been in Negonall for thousands of years and, from the little that she knew, that very likely was the case. She didn't remember much from that day. When she first arrived in the strange new world, her capture was all that she could think about. The events had played over and over in her head until it drove her to near insanity, but after all that time had passed, it was nothing more than a faded memory now. She had been traveling to Europe with a friend, they had been captured and eventually separated by different owners. Sadly, she had long since forgotten that friend's name. Some days it seemed a miracle that she could still remember her own name! For so long, the Jikinin had her called her "bova" which she learned was their way of calling her "cattle" or "cow".

Her captor and first owner had looked like a plump man with a dark black beard with the dark green skin that separated the Jikinin from the bovine. He had been an abusive slave trader that had beaten her near to death on many occasions. Between her slight knowledge of the dominant language, she was able to pick up a few words here and there in the Jikinin language, which seemed to have a Latin base. She discovered that he was known as "The Breaker". He would capture humans from Earth and beat them into submission before training them to understand basic commands and later selling them to other Jikinin or their race's various customers.

Her first decade, or she at least thought it was a decade, she had been bought and sold by many different owners. Most of them used her for sadistic rituals, hard labour and even sex. Some were humans that had bought apartments or homes in Negonall, some were Jikinin, and others were terrifying creatures of various demonic or alien origins.

Eventually she was bought by a Jikinin by the name of Pedat. By the time he bought her, she had become well-accustomed to the life of a Negonallian slave. She had mentally prepared herself for whatever terrible things he was going to submit her to. Pedat owned a small stall on a busy street of the main city and was doing very well in terms of business. She would come to find out that he had not bought her for the purposes of sex or abuse as many of her past owners had.

When he brought her to his lavish home, he sat her down and gave her a hearty meal. She ate it slowly, eyeing him suspiciously, as she had learned long ago not to trust anyone here. When he finally spoke to her, it was not a Jikinin command but a clearly spoken American English statement.

"My name is Pedat. Do not confuse my kind gestures with compassion. I have big plans for you and you are going to make me a lot of money," he said.

Iris dropped the piece of food from between her dirty, scarred fingers. Her bright blue eyes stared up at the well-shaven, thin Jikinin as she tries hard to find a way to respond. Eventually he ushered her to the bathroom, handed her some towels, and closed the door behind her. She knew that this was a hint that he wanted her to wash up. When she has showered, she opened the door to find clean clothing made of fine Egyptian silk. She was beginning to have ideas of what he is doing, but she wasn't completely sure what his end game was.

In the years that followed, Pedat taught Iris several things. The first was the Jikinin language, along with several of the other common languages that one would come across in the hellish dimension. Later, he began teaching her magic. The first spells were healing elixirs. She learned how to knit her skin together to close open wounds and how to erase the dozens of scars and blemishes from her many years of abuse. Before Pedat bought her, her nails had been torn off more times than she could count, and the scars on her face and body were innumerable. Her weight was well below a healthy number, and it was visually clear that her body was malnourished. As he explained to her multiple times, he could get more money for her if she was in better shape and not physically damaged. After a few months of her magic lessons, she reached optimal health. The scars had disappeared, and her blonde hair and nails had grown long and shone even in the darkness.

Eventually, Pedat taught her basic energy spells. She learned through her studies that she is internally attuned to the elements of wind and water and can manipulate them with a few basic hand gestures or phrases. Despite his cold-heartedness, Pedat was an incredible teacher.

Then one day, a group of evil Jikinin attacked Pedat's market stall and killed him outside while Iris was inside the home. The greedy group broke into the house and began raiding it of all the expensive items. This particular group had become jealous of his success, and banded together to end it. During the raid, Iris was captured as well.

Over the following years, she was traded several additional times until she reached the Curisex, which is the main sex house of Negonall. There, Iris makes up her mind that, although it isn't Earth, the Curisex isn't all that bad. The conditions are harsh, but the owner does not regularly beat her and she is given a decent meal at least once a day. She hates that she is again in a prostituting position, but at least most of her 'work' includes dancing and the opportunity to practice the magic Pedat taught her. There's at least some artistry and creativity to it, she tells herself. Every so often, Latice, the owner of the house, allows her and some of the other 'workers' leave of the building so that they can explore the surrounding district or run errands for the club. Iris and the other girls are tagged with strange piercings in their arms and legs that let others in the district know that they are privately owned and so Latice could find them if they strayed too far for too long a time.

Iris is lying on the cool floor of her cell. The building is often too hot, and even the thin blankets on her cot make it simply unbearable. Her face is pressed against the cement floor as she plays with the piercings on her arms that stretch out before her. The large metal pins stopped hurting and to some degree she doesn't mind the look of them. She knows that if the time comes when she is sold again, her new owner will probably remove them and leave her arms and legs to bleed and become infected. She knows that she will need the right spells to heal herself before any of that happens.

"Iris, you still there?" A small voice calls through a small hole in the wall.

Iris rolls onto her other side to face the direction that the voice had come from. She sees a small square hole cut into the wall a few inches from the floor. She can also see the small bare feet of Ann, her neighbor and friend, in the cell next to hers.

"Yeah, I'm here," she replies. "How was it?"

"They applauded," Ann admits, but without the excited tone one would expect from such a statement.

"That's good! I told you it was just a matter of time before you got it right," Iris commends, calling enthusiasm to her voice. Ann had been captured only a few weeks before and was brought to Curisex immediately because of her beauty. Ann is about sixteen years old, the same age Iris had been when she was captured. With the inability to track time, Iris isn't sure how old she is anymore… but when she looks in the mirror, she appears to be a little over twenty. It is as if aging is not a factor in this dimension.

"I wish I was half as good as you," Ann laments, lying on the floor so she can look at Iris through the hole in the wall.

"Don't ever wish that. The number of customers I'm forced to please on a daily basis is sickening."

"But you get better food, and get to go outside more," Ann counters.

Iris can't help but laugh a little. Even after all the abuse she has endured, she has yet to lose her sense of humor, love of life, and creativity. Some days are harder than others to remember who she really is, but among the lessons Pedat taught her, she learned to hold on to who she really was, regardless of the cost. "Hun, the food's not that great, and what's out there sure isn't anything to write home about either."

She can see a small smile cross Ann's face. "I never thought I would miss home so much," Ann says dreamily. Her eyes close as a few tears begin to slip through the cracks. She sniffs a moment and tries to force another smile.

"Don't forget about it, like I did," Iris warns. "Hang on to those memories, and I promise I'll do whatever I can to get you back there."

"Somehow, I believe you when you say that."

Before Iris can respond, a loud beep sounds in her cell. The sound reverberates off the walls for a moment before things become silent again. Iris looks up at the far wall where her cot stands. A bright red bulb sticks out from the wall just below the ceiling and it had lit up as the obnoxious noise sounded.

"I'm up," Iris grumbles as she staggers to her feet. The cell door is made of iron bars that slide into the concrete wall when unlocked and pushed. When the light is on, the door is unlocked and Iris is able to push it open.

She makes her way down the long hall of cell doors. Many of the girls inside them are crying and huddled in the corners on their cots. Those that have been there for a long time like Iris are usually asleep or finding some way to entertain themselves while they wait for their turns. When she reaches the end of the hall, she knocks on a wooden door twice. The sound of locks unlocking and metal bars being lifted is heard on the opposite side before the door swings open.

"Bova," snears Latice. She is a large Jikinin woman with ample breasts held up nearly to her chin by a black corset. Her green skin is always covered in bright sparkling glitter, and her black hair is tied in a high knot. "You have three dances, and six appointments. All human so they should be easy to get over with," she speaks in the Jikinin tongue. Shortly after the club owner bought Iris, Latice discovered that she had already learned the native language. This caused Latice to make her somewhat of a crowd favorite. She often gave Iris details that needed to be given to the other girls that had trouble understanding her broken Earth language.

"That's fine," Iris replies in the same tongue, bending over to step into her silk skirt.

The circular stage is painted black and stands in the middle of room. There is a bar on every wall and males of several different species are drinking and anxiously awaiting the next act. Dim lights flicker on and the room falls silent. Strange, eerie music begins to play and from the very center of the circular stage a round platform rises up with the dancer. Her blonde hair is tied up in several knots so it loops beautifully around her head. Several light blue and purple scarves are wrapped around her entire body and seem to be flowing like water, even though she is standing still.

Iris begins her dance. She closes her blue eyes as she takes a deep breath to concentrate on what she is doing. Her hips sway to the strange music and her arms fly up over her head like a belly dancer. She takes a few steps towards one side of the round stage and then turns quickly to face the other. She takes a few more deep breaths and flings her arms straight out to the sides. Three bright blue orbs of concentrated energy surrounded by purple mist flare outward from the palms of each hand. The crowd around her cheers wildly.

She tosses the orbs into the air and spins around in the center of the stage. The orbs land in different positions around her and danced along the edge to the tempo. She then spins in the opposite direction, throwing the scarves around her body this way and that. Almost immediately, the orbs suddenly transform and six other Iris imitations line the stage, with the real Iris remaining in the middle. They dance as she dances and the crowd seems to lose all control, erupting into wild cheers.

She pulls out a few more scarves and flings them into the air. She raises her hands up toward them and creates a magical breeze to manipulate the thin strands of silk. They dance with the phantom currents and seem to follow her footsteps, hip, arm, and leg movements. The scarves multiply and separate so that a group of them float above each Iris. They lower themselves down until each of the female bodies is covered in the purple and blue fabric. Then, with a loud burst from the music as cue, the scarves fall and seven naked bodies are revealed. The crowd erupts and some of them even jump to their feet as they applaud.

**End of Chapter 2**


	4. Growing Tensions

**Chapter 3: Growing Tensions**

**"All things truly wicked start from an innocence." **

**- **_**Ernest Hemingway**_

"You're listening to the Crystal Radio, station number three! We're here twenty-four/seven to bring you the news from all over the world and report on how we are making the world a better place each and every day! Today we are bringing you an exciting interview with the Norman Osborn, the creator and owner of Oscorp Industries, which is one of the world's leading organizations in technological advancements. We met with Mr. Osborn last week to talk to him about his latest achievement." The disc jockey pauses as he begins the tape of the interview.

"So Mr. Osborn, let me thank you for agreeing to meet with us today. My first question is one that I am sure we all want to know. Before the Great Sleep, Oscorp was probably one of the most financially successful industries in the fields of genetic, biological, and mechanical engineering. Was it difficult to rebuild the company in this new age?" The young radio host inquired.

"Well Dean… everyone had to rebuild, didn't they? It is true that we lost a good amount of our old research and technology, but we didn't lose our lives or our knowledge. This is an age of renewal, a restart I should say, and that's exactly what we did at Oscorp." Norman replied with the typical reassuring tone that was common in many Fortune 500 company owners of the past.

"Excellent answer Mr. Osborn. You're right; everyone was given a second chance. I'm sure that without the pressures of finances and the need for funding, things are a lot easier for you now, huh?" DJ Dean pressed.

"Absolutely. We were never about the money... we are strictly about knowledge and the desire to help and advance our peaceful society." Norman again answered with the calm tone that had come from years of dealing with the public and the media.

"If you don't mind me asking Mr. Osborn, wasn't Oscorp once one of the leading industries in biological and even nuclear warfare research?"DJ Dean asked, not showing any hesitation in asking such a potentially risky question.

"I get that question a lot. Yes we were, but please understand that it was a different time before the Great Sleep. We as a race were not united, but were divided by our different countries' boundaries. However, thanks to this new age and the global unity under Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endyimon, there is no longer a need for that sort of research." Norman replied without missing a beat. He had been anticipating such a question and had come prepared with a politically correct answer.

"Excellent, excellent, Mr. Osborn! Now of course the real reason for this interview wasn't just to ask you about Oscorp, but to ask you about your newest invention. Tell us all about it." Dean said, sensing that it was time to move on in the conversation or he would run the risk of the radio segment becoming stale.

"Ah yes, we have a created a machine that can attach prosthetic limbs or attach 'replacement' organs such as ears, eyes, nose, or skin that have been damaged by accidents or congenital birth defects without any visible scarring or potentially dangerous invasive surgery. This will revolutionize the facial reconstruction—" Norman started to say, hiding his displeasure at this young punk for trying to discredit him in the public eye by reminding them that he had once been in the weapons-making business.

"I apologize to all you listeners out there! I'm sure you would love to hear the rest of our interview with Mr. Osborn, but we just had some breaking news! Sailor Mercury and her team of medical experts in Crystal Tokyo have just created a new treatment for various forms of cancer patients. She and the leading researchers in the field have crafted what they call an Organic Matrix Laser. This laser can be programmed to target and eliminate any cells that are foreign to the body or identified as either being benign or malignant while leaving healthy cells untouched." DJ Dean cut in, interrupting Norman's response as he was handed a piece of paper from his program manager.

"According to Sailor Mercury, it was decided that chemotherapy and other past treatments such as surgery just weren't as effect as she would have liked. So after many months of research, she has finally been able to find a healthier and safer alternative! This looks to be as revolutionary a discovery as any made within—" DJ Dean began to say.

The small solar powered radio shatters against the wall. Small pieces of its wooden frame break apart and fall across the office floor. Norman Osborn mulls this news report over as he watches the sun begin to sink below the buildings that litter the newly built city below. He hates Sailor Mercury, and since his radio interview was cut short by her antics he is even more frustrated towards the blue haired wench. Outside the wall lined with windows, he watches the people walking by as he tries to calm his rage. Even before the nuclear bombs, New York City had been his home. It was always dark and grimy and the crime rate was high, of which Norman had a huge hand in it. Now, it is bright and open and certainly pleasant to look at from the windows of the moderately-sized warehouse. But he is not pleased. He no longer possesses near the power and influence of the old days. That is all going to change though, and not just in the new city that was once known as New York, but across the entire globe.

He silently curses Sailor Mercury, Neo-Queen Serenity, and the other Sailor Warriors. It is their fault that he lost his industrial empire and title…. their fault that the nuclear bombs went off and made the world start anew. This had forced him to rebuild his entire industry from scratch and have to work without the pleasure of financial gain. Ridiculous…

He spins his chair around to face his desk, scattering papers and files aside as he reaches for the intercom. A few buttons are pressed before he can hear his words echo through the building.

"Dr. Octavius, please see me in my office immediately."

After pressing another button to turn off the intercom, he spins the office chair again to face the windows. His elbows sit on the armrests and steeples his fingers. He knows that it will take Dr. Octavius some time to reach the office. The open warehouse, known as the new OsCorp headquarters, is large with Norman's equally large office and board room situated at the very top. Dr. Octavius spends most of his time in the laboratory located far below the office and warehouse floor.

After plenty of time has passed, just before Norman Osborn loses his patience, he hears the office door on the other side of his desk open. A few heavy footsteps signal the arrival of the brilliant man, followed by a slight slam of the door closing behind him.

"Why do you keep disturbing me, Osborn? I am a scientist and thus I have experiments to conduct that require my undivided attention." He stared sternly in Osborn's direction, behind his back.

Osborn wheels the chair around to face Dr. Octavius. It is clear from the expression on his face that the scientist is more than a little irritated to be pulled away from his precious work. Osborn doesn't care in the slightest if he offended Octavius. All he cares about is his master plan.

"You forget your place, Octavius!" He hisses harshly, pausing to compose himself with a few deep breaths. Octavius hears the man mutter a few things under his breath but cannot discern exactly what they are. They sound more like hisses and whispers than actual words. Octavius thinks it wise not to reply and merely stand his ground.

"Without my resources," Norman continues, still trying to calm himself, "and generous funding, you would be nothing…" He trails off as it becomes more apparent that he is keeping his aggression at bay. "… Nothing more than a scientist with nothing to study or to discover, nothing to invent, nothing to make you worthy! Ever since our benevolent Neo-Queen Serenity outlawed anything to do with atomic or nuclear research or its usage; you and your skills have been deemed all but useless. Do you remember?"

"Bah!" Dr. Octavius bites back with his thick German accent showing through. He raises his hands in exasperation. "What does she know? Just because she is of Japanese heritage, she thinks that atomic power is something to be feared." Octavius speaks with a passion that would befit a great orator. "I have proven that I can harness it, tame it, and even enslave it. I am its master! And it is my servant."

"Be that as it may, you have more important things to concern yourself with than these petty semantics," Mr. Osborn replies in his usual calm and cool tone. He takes a moment to reach for a glass on his desk and take a slow sip of the scotch contained within before setting it back on the desk. He lets the warm feeling of the liquid hang in his mouth for a moment before swallowing and returning his gaze to Dr. Octavius. "What is the status report on our operatives?"

"They are ready to go whenever you decide. Their bodies have adjusted to the cross-species genetic splicing and are now stable and battle-ready. I have sent you the latest results on each of them; if you even bothered to look at the files I had that trollop of a secretary place on your desk this morning..." He trails off, suddenly aware that his statement could anger the man sitting across from where he stood. Octavius isn't scared of Osborn at all, but he still needs the man's resources and so, for now, he holds his tongue. He knows that at some point in the near future, he will no longer need Osborn at all, and when that day comes he will show this egotistical tyrant what real power is all about.

"Well then, perhaps you can fill me in, Octavius," Norman sneers, swinging his chair back around to glower out the large window that made up the back wall.

The doctor sighs in exasperation. He truly wants to snap at his employer and at the very least throw the file at his smug face. All the information is right there, and he doesn't see why he should waste any of his precious time going over it. He knows Osborn is extremely educated and can understand the reports in their entirety. Nevertheless, he bites his tongue and thinks better of his actions.

"Clearly during the Great Sleep, each test subject was perfectly preserved and had no lasting damage from the suspended animation. This made the process easier but still required quite a bit of work to be done. I think you will be very pleased with the results." Doctor Octavius starts.

Norman pressed his fingertips together, unseen by Doctor Octavius. His elbows rest on the arms of his chair and he remains silent as he waits for the doctor to continue. He knows about how the test subjects survived the Great Sleep, as did about eighty-five percent of the rest of the world's population. He would forgive the doctor this time but he had better get to the real information quickly.

"Subject A's stature has been vastly improved, which of course took some time and a fair amount of research. He is now able to lift about one hundred tons and has incredible speed and stamina. His exoskeleton's skin makes him extraordinarily durable and we have yet to find anything that can seriously damage him. We believe that the increase of our gamma ray treatments can certainly be thanked for that." Doctor Octavius continued after the brief period of silence.

"Were we able to fix the little problem?" Norman coldly asked, without turning around in his chair.

"I'm afraid not. It still stuns him. Damn thing can burst through walls but can't withstand a few—" Doctor Octavius started to reply.

"Just tell me about the next one." Norman interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest. The tone in his voice made it clear that he was less than displeased at the update.

"Subject B wasn't nearly as difficult as we thought. He was very intelligent despite his age and was able to do most of the work without my help. As you may be aware of, he still has a hard time trusting you after..." Octavius clears his throat and thinks twice before bringing up the events of the past between Osborn and the male subject once known as Adrian Toomes.

"His electromagnetic harness had been imbedded inside him and can no longer be removed without causing death. His feather-like projectiles are of an almost unlimited supply and it is unlikely he will need to restock any time soon. They are razor-sharp and diamond-laced, meaning that they will cut through almost any material known on Earth. The anti-gravity and magnetic pull from the harness grants him additional strength. In fact, he was able to lift seven hundred pounds yesterday, and his flight time now seems infinite." Doctor Octavius finished, hoping to keep this status report moving so he can get back to his experiments.

"Subject C, once fed, was back to normal. He has extreme speed, stamina, excellent agility and reflexes. His regenerative skills have vastly improved and he is able to heal himself faster with the regular supplies of hemoglobin. He is also able to lift two thousand pounds, which is a pretty large improvement over previous testing. His fangs and claws are extremely efficient weapons when paired with his hypnotic and gliding abilities. Need I say anything about Subject D?" Doctor Octavius inquired with a non-playful tone of sarcasm.

"No, no, don't bother. I already know all about it. But do you have the ability to create others for the next phases of our master plan?"

"Of course I do!" The Doctor immediately replied with a tone that made it clear that he was personally insulted at the question.

"Alright, so on to Subjects E and F." Norman stated, not caring that he upset the lowly doctor. Doctor Octavius was a brilliant scientist but next to him, he was merely a grade school teacher.

"Speed, durability, agility, reflexes, regenerative ability, you know the usual suspects. Subject E has his sharp pincers at the end of his arms, which can crush through almost anything. His tail... well, let's just say it's best to stay away from it! It has an indestructible metallic barb that can pierce any form of body armor known in existence. It can spray highly corrosive acid from the end of it. It can also extend and is highly flexible, much like my 'children'.

"Subject F can now telepathically call upon any reptile in about a five mile radius and bend them to his will. Like Subject E, he possesses exceptional speed, durability, reflexes, agility and a regenerative capability due to his beastial heritage. In the simulation tests, his feral nature has made him a most outstanding fighter. So how does that sound, Osborn?"

Norman let a wide smile spread across his face. "Excellent. Everything is going perfectly according to plan!" He allows a cruel laugh to escape his lips, showing his growing excitement and pleasure upon hearing the latest news. Dr. Octavius can't help but join in the laughter. The ominous chorus cannot be heard outside the luxurious office, but it gives some insight to the dark plot the two men have been secretly working on for many months. Things are definitely going according to plan.

Half a world away, Usagi waved goodbye to her mentor, Sailor Mercury as she left the hospital where she had just had a medical class with the blue-haired genius. Under the guidance of her predecessor and mother, the original Sailor Moon, and Sailor Mercury and the original Sailors, she had taken up her mother's old mantle and formed her own band of Sailor Soldiers. Along with Sailors Pallas, Juno, Vesta and Ceres, they had literally been training their entire lives to someday assume the responsibilities of guarding the Milky Way galaxy. Among them is Tera Estmund, the first ever sailor soldier born to be a guardian of the Earth.

As she moved through the streets that were busy with early evening pedestrian traffic, her mind began to wander as she thought about a common topic of discussion among the young group of girls. They all felt that under this period of peace, a paranoid sense of security has been established among their mentors. They have not yet seen the darkness of battle or encountered an enemy. Their days of perceived immortality were simple and filled with happiness. Her best friend, Tera often spent her free time among the meadows, sleeping on the grass and basking in the warm sunlight.

The young pink haired girl smiled as she thought of her friend and her undeniable love for nature and everything about the Earth. She remembers her telling her once that whenever she is alone, she could sense a deep connection to her guardian planet. Being so close to the soil is calming to her and she often loses herself in the smell of the grass and time stands still until the sun sets and it is time to go home.

Usagi shook her head and re-focused her eyes on what was in front of her. She had a moment of confusion as she didn't recognize where she was at first. It took a few more seconds for her to realize that she was passing through Minato Ward, the part of Crystal Tokyo that was named after the section of the old city of Tokyo that her mother and the other original Sailors had grown up in. She tilted her head upwards and stared at the massive Crystal Palace that towered over her. She smiled as she knew that she was almost home.

Within Crystal Tokyo, the Minato section was created for the older Sailor Soldiers and the younger generation in which they could live. Their homes are small, but large enough for each Sailor or Sailors to live comfortably and happily within. This became necessary following the events of Aldrich's invasion and corruption of the red symbiote. Because of Carnage's infiltration of the Crystal Palace and his near assassination of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, the queen erected magical wards on the palace that prevented anyone and anything that wasn't of the royal bloodline from entering or staying within its interior without permission from either the king or queen. Therefore, Chibiusa is the only member of her team that lived within the palace.

Tera lives with her parents: Hybrid and Sailor Jupiter. When she stands in the kitchen beside her mother, it is hard to tell them apart from behind. They both stand around 5-foot-ten and their curly brown hair is pulled back in a simple pony tail with light blue bobbles tying it up. Even from the front they look very much alike. Tera certainly took after her mother.

The smells of chicken and shiitake mushrooms fill the air as they prepare mizutaki for lunch. Sailor Jupiter accepts a pot of rice from Tera to drain the water. Tera in turn takes a damp rag to begin cleaning up the small mess they made while preparing the meal. Behind them, the small clink of metal can be heard while Hybrid sharpens the fabled sword of Gaia.

This was one of his common pastimes ever since he was made the official guardian of Earth. At the time, it was an incredible and surprising honor when King Endyimon gave him the sword, given the revelation of his symbiote's true nature and the chaos that had ensued immediately following his corruption by Aldrich Reid.

"So Tera, are you and Chibiusa doing anything this afternoon?" The sound of his wife's voice reels him out of the past memories.

"Well, the girls and I are going to go to the Crystal Ice Cream Parlour and then we were going to go and check out the summer collection at Crystal GAP," Tera answers. She lays the rag aside and, taking the broom from the corner, starts to sweep the kitchen floor.

Hybrid glances up from his sword to the open kitchen across the room. "That sounds fine dear," he says, "but don't forget that your mother and I are taking you girls out for some night training once the sun goes down."

"Yes dad, I remember," Tera says as she sweeps the floor a little quicker without looking up at her father. "Though I don't know why you two are so adamant about all this training. It's not like you guys are ever going to really let us fight. And more to the point, if we even need to."

Tera's irritation is blaringly evident, steadily mounting over the past few weeks. She was granted the gift to become a Sailor Warrior when she was just fourteen years old. Since that memorable day, she still had yet to use her powers against any real enemies. While she is grateful for the peace that Crystal Tokyo and the Earth had enjoy since Carnage became Hybrid, she is growing more and more restless to use her powers for something other than training. It is even a topic of contention between herself and the other scouts.

"Tera, we have had this discussion before," her father reminds her as he placed his sword across his legs. "You were the one that wanted to be a Sailor Warrior like your mother. Therefore, you must accept that you will need to keep your skills operating at their peak so that you can deal with any threat that should suddenly arise."

"What threat? There haven't been any real threats since Aldrich Reid was exiled and our ruler, Aunt Serenity, successfully united the people of the world under her peaceful banner." Tera immediately regrets her outburst. It is very unusual for her to lose control over her emotions, another trait that she shared with her mother.

She bites her lip and steps aside as her mother passes her to place bowls of mizutaki on the table. She returns her gaze to the broom in her hands and looks down as she continues to sweep the kitchen floor.

"There will always be a threat, whether you realize it or not," Sailor Jupiter assures calmly before taking her seat at the table beside her husband. "Your father and I may not always be around, so it is important that you, Usagi, and the Quartet are ready to take up our place if something were to happen."

Tera's mind races and while she tries to push the bubbling emotions away, it quickly becomes apparent how futile that is. "Who says we wouldn't be ready? We are ready now! You have been training us for almost three centuries in every possible scenario or situation that you and the others can think of. Besides, you and the others are still stronger than us, so there is no possible risk of any obstacle overcoming you and my aunts in the first place," she mutters the last part under her breath, not realizing that her parents can still hear her.

With that last statement, she sets the broom aside and kneels on the floor to brush the small pile of dirt into the dustpan that sits on the ground beside her feet. She picks it up and tosses the contents into the trash bin before rushing out the door. Hybrid and Jupiter, who remain seated, meet eyes and raise their eyebrows at each other. Their looks clearly suggest identical thinking: 'Well that could have gone better.'

The brisk walk through the Tranquility Gardens that separate the Sailors' section of the city from the general public takes longer than it should have. In reality, Tera is so caught up in her own head that time seems to slow down. She knows there is no reason to get upset at her parents. She also knows that means there is no reason to remain upset either. Yet these two simple facts only seem to fuel the fire burning inside her.

Becoming Sailor Earth was a wonderful gift when she turned fourteen. She can't help but be upset that ever since then, she hasn't had the chance to fully use that gift. She tells herself again and again that, in actuality, this is something to be grateful for. It means that no dangerous or evil forces bother the planet; but it makes her restless nonetheless.

At the same time, there is still a nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach. She will never admit it aloud, but she is afraid of her powers. It is no secret that her father's powers come from an alien symbiote. He often refers to it as his partner, but Tera knows better. When she was younger, she had secretly read the historical public records of the Earth's past and the events leading up to and following the Great Sleep. She paid particular attention to the time period when the last great threat had appeared on Earth. Just before she was born, a man named Aldrich Reid materialized and proceeded to show her father (who was Carnage at the time) and the rest of the world the true nature of the symbiote. It was a soulless evil thing that lived for chaos and destruction, doing all but nearly destroying Crystal Tokyo in the process. This also could have led to the destruction of the planet and thus prevented her existence.

Once that threat was eliminated, her father was unexpectedly made the protector of Earth and King Endymion gifted him with the sword of Gaia which he himself had used millennia ago in his identity of the Prince of Earth. It was also decreed on that day that the hero then known as Carnage would be no more and have to be blessed by the Silver Moon Crystal regularly, along with his wife and yet unborn child to prevent a reoccurrence of the disaster. Some of Tera's earliest memories are of frequent visits to the steps of the royal palace, where the Crystal's bright light would engulf her and her family. When she grew a little older, she no longer saw the need for it but her parents continued to avoid any questions from her regarding why they follow this ritual. From her investigation, she concluded that the only reason that she and her mother had to be regularly purified along with her father was because they had been in close contact with him more than anyone else. She still couldn't see why that should matter though.

On her fifteenth birthday and exactly one year after she became Sailor Earth, she learned the reason why. It was on that day that she discovered that she had inherited symbiotic powers from her father. She arrived home from one of her nature walks to find all of her friends and entire family waiting for her so that they could throw her a surprise party. The sudden shock of mass amounts of people and the unexpectedness of it all caused her to fall into a fit of heightened emotion. It was at that point that a dark green liquid engulfed her entire body like a second skin.

As she looked upon the faces of her friends and family, she saw their expressions change from happiness to horror, concern, and defensiveness. It was only when Chibiusa pointed at her did she realize the physical change that was going on. Looking down at her hands, she saw the green free-flowing "skin" where her white gloves should have been. Before anyone could react, she ran from the room and hid inside her room to get a look at herself in the mirror. When she saw the image displayed before her, she shrieked inhumanly, beholding the monstrous creature she had become. The sharp black needles that filled her mouth and giant white pupil-less eyes presented truly a terrifying picture for any young girl.

It took several days for her to recover from the initial shock. When she was able to face the world again, she first sought out Sailor Mercury and asked her to conduct a series of tests to her so that she could better understand what was inside of her. The results of the tests and Sailor Mercury's acquired knowledge of symbiotic life forms led her to the conclusion that Tera did not possess a full symbiote, but had only been partially affected. It was determined that the alien particles were encoded into her genetic DNA and thus could not be removed by any known medical or scientific means.

Using this new knowledge, she had requested that the blessings from the Silver Moon Crystal would occur more often for her. In the years that followed, her father had tried many times to teach her how to use her symbiotic powers during training. He did everything that he could to try and quell her fears about it, but with little success. She did learn how to use it and discovered that it seemed to grant her with more strength, agility, speed, and power than the other Sailors; but she still feared it regardless. To deal with this, she created a mental safe inside her brain and shoved those thoughts deep inside, pretending that they were not there.

"What's the point of having gifts that you can't or don't want to use?" she thinks aloud.

She finally leaves the Tranquility Garden and heads towards the shopping district to meet up with her friends. The moving crowds that litter the roads are full of smiling faces. More than once, Tera is stopped briefly by a kind face wishing her a "good day" and asking "how are you?" Almost everyone knows who she is and, for the most part, she knows them as well.

As she makes her way to the Crystal Ice Cream Parlour, she continues to fake smiles and give brief but pleasant responses to the kind greetings. It isn't like her to be so upset, and she knows her outburst was childish. Yet at the moment, all that matters to her is getting to her friends. They will understand and, more importantly, they will know how to make her feel better.

"Look who arrived early!" Usagi giggles and shouts when Tera rounds the corner. Her long pink pigtails bounce with excitement.

"You mean, on time," Pallas brightly grins.

The five girls standing in front of the Ice Cream Parlor laugh. Their faces quickly change when they see how their friend looks as she approaches. She lacks her usual smile. Something is troubling her.

"Is everything alright?" Usagi asks as she ventures a step forward to hold out an arm for her friend.

Tera takes it and follows her into the parlor. Sailor Saturn is sitting at a booth in the corner. This is another usual hang out spot for the seven friends in between their training and extracurricular activities. They always sit in the same booth and each of them always orders the same flavor of ice cream. She has been saving the booth while the others waited outside for Tera to arrive. It isn't unusual for Tera to be late for their social gatherings, even if it is at the same place and same time every week.

They assume their seats around the curved booth and wave to the parlor's owner to let him know they are ready for their usual dishes. Tera inhales a deep breath and tries to figure out exactly what to say and how to say it. They have talked about this before, but she never fully expressed her frustration with her parents. She loves her parents dearly and disappointing them is something she never wants to do. She is grateful that she rushed out of the house when she did, because the looks they might have given her would have made her feel even worse. When she notices the concerned eyes of her friends waiting patiently for her to speak, she finally gathers her thoughts and pipes up.

"I just... I kind of went off on my parents about training today."

Her friends' eyes widen as they took in the simple statement.

"I just feel like we're wasting our time sometimes. If we aren't prepared after all of this training, then when will we ever be? And that's also to say we'll ever need to be, assuming a new evil force will rise at all. And if it does, wouldn't the first generation sailors take care of it? I feel like I'm taking all of these extra training credits just so I actually have something to do and some sort of future to look forward to."

There is a long pause before Vesta laughs awkwardly. "So, how did Sailor Jupiter and Hybrid handle that?"

"Other than the speech about being prepared, I didn't really stay to find out," she replies.

"Well, you know I agree with you," Usagi begins, pausing for a moment while they thank the waiter for serving them their bowls of ice cream. When he leaves she continues, "I mean I won't complain about there not being any villains around, but it would be nice to use our Sailor Powers for something other than just training."

"I agree too! Of course I'd love to get a chance to kick some butt!" Vesta supplies before plunging her spoon into her ice cream.

"Me too, I want some action," Juno agrees. Her high green pony tail waves with every nod and the small braids that circled her head bounced in unison.

Vesta and Juno are the more energetic and rambunctious of the group. Aside from their displays of shenanigans during training, they usually get scolded for attacking too quickly and not biding their time, while Pallas and Ceres are more likely to be critiqued for not acting quickly enough. Pallas almost always waits to follow someone else's lead, while Ceres spends her time over-thinking strategies. Out of the six of them, Sailor Moon and Sailor Earth most often receive compliments rather than complaints.

"I don't mean to cause conflict," Sailor Saturn says slowly to catch everyone's attention. Vesta and Juno had since started comparing stories from past training sessions and about their play battle with the wooden sticks, distracting everyone from the topic at hand. When all eyes turn to her, Saturn continues. "But your parents are right. They may not always be around, and you guys do need to be prepared. When it comes to battle, it's not all fun and games. Believe me, I know."

"We know you do," Tera cuts in.

"Then take it from someone who's been at this a bit longer. Maybe you don't remember some of the tales we've told you like the Death Busters or the Shadow Galactica Empire, but it's not about perfectly executed kicks and gathering enough energy for an attack. It's about life and death. If we lose, the people of Earth will suffer greatly. You all have to be prepared when—"

The rest of Saturn's statement was cut off by a shrill scream outside the parlor.

**End of Chapter 3**


	5. Unexpected Attacks!

**Chapter 4: Unexpected Attacks**

**"They say life is full of surprises. That our dreams really can come true. Then again, so can our nightmares." **

**- **_**Author Unknown**_

Hybrid and Sailor Jupiter sit at the table finishing up their lunch after Tera stormed out. After the unfortunate outburst of their daughter, they discuss the topic at hand and both came to the conclusion that they understood her frustrations. There is no reason for them to be upset with her; she is just restless and wants to use her powers. Unfortunately, it is entirely possible that she won't get the chance to use them any time soon, as the power of the Silver Moon Crystal is seemingly keeping the forces of evil at bay and hopefully will continue to for the foreseeable future.

The loving couple spent the last little while discussing ways to console their daughter when she returned. They determined that Tera would undoubtedly just need to blow off some steam with her friends and calm down on her own. All that the two of them can do from here on out is be as supportive, loving, and understanding as they can when and if the topic ever arises again, which it certainly will. They finish eating and stand at the sink to wash the soiled dishes.

"Your cooking is as delicious as ever," Hybrid says, drying the dishes that Jupiter had set aside for him.

"No need to sound so surprised, honey," she jests, gently hitting him with her dish towel.

"I still can't get over that I married the most incredible woman in the universe and the greatest cook as well," he replies with a lopsided grin.

Sailor Jupiter blushes at the flirtatious compliment. Then with a laugh, she splashes some water from the sink towards her husband. Hybrid jokingly gasps at the attack and throws the towel he is holding at her in response. The towel lands on her head and partially covers her eyes, leaving her temporarily blinded. He uses that opportunity to pull his wife close in a loving embrace. The towel slides down off her head and falls through the open space between them to the floor. Their lips press together and their love radiates through the kitchen, as the echoes of their laughter can be heard throughout their house.

"Hybrid! Sailor Jupiter!" The black cat Luna comes bounding into the room as she calls out their names. Her graceful paws carry her to leap onto the counter beside them. "I don't mean to interrupt," she says quickly when the lovers turn their attention towards her. Her red cat eyes are filled with concern and worry. "There are monsters attacking Crystal Tokyo! The closest one is near the West Village shopping district."

"What sort of monsters?" Hybrid asks with concern in his voice. He looks over at his wife as their minds came up with the exact same thought – the shopping district is where Tera is! His red and black armor ripples across its surface as a visual indication of the rapidly growing anxiety over his daughter's well-being washes over him. The symbiotic skin that makes up his alternate attire continues to flow in waves up and down his arms and legs, never fully breaking their armored disguise. His concerned eyes look toward his wife who has pulled off her apron and is heading toward the door. Luna leads the way and he follows closely at her heels.

"Tell us about these monsters," Sailor Jupiter asks as they run through the streets.

"It appears that there are several and they are attacking at different points throughout the city," Luna shouts up at the two warriors as the three of them make their way to the West Village Shopping District. "I'm not entirely sure how to describe them. I have only seen a few of them. One of them seems to have a symbiote just like yours, Hybrid. Another one has several long mechanical arms and is heading toward the hospital."

"The hospital? Has someone alerted Sailor Mercury?" exclaims Sailor Jupiter with heavy concern in her voice.

"I haven't had a chance to do that, yet," she remarks.

Jupiter grits her teeth. "Find Mars, Luna. This hasn't happened in three hundred years! There has to be some sort of psychic disturbance that she can feel." Luna nods dutifully.

"We'll handle this first, then go check on her," the couple say together as they round the corner.

"Mom! Dad!" Tera shouts at them from the ice cream parlor door as they come into view. The Sailor Quartet, Usagi and Sailor Saturn are with her, all looking at them with surprised faces. "What's going on?"

"You and the girls stay in the shop," Jupiter replies, waving them away. "Saturn, we need you now!"

Sailor Saturn nods her understanding as she pushes past Tera and the others. "Stay safe," she whispers to them over her shoulder before following Hybrid and Sailor Jupiter down the street.

The three warriors come to a sudden halt as they followed the screams from Crystal Tokyo citizens. There is destruction in the air and the sounds of crashing buildings surround them. Directly ahead of them, a large structure begins to crumble as a burly man bursts through its stone wall and the resulting cloud of debris into the middle of the street. He stops briefly as he notices the trio out of the corner of his eye. He turns his body and proceeds to rush towards them with his head down in a terrifying charge.

That brief pause allows Sailor Jupiter and the others to size up their opponent. His entire body looks like it is covered in dark grey-colored suit with his heavy face exposed, giving him a monstrous look as he rushed towards them. He is incredibly muscular and appears to be beyond even the most extreme bodybuilders of old. The most noticeable trait that this enemy has is a sharply pointed horn at the top of his head. Right now, that horn is clearly aimed in the three warriors' direction.

"Silence Wall!" Sailor Saturn shouts, as she plants the bottom of her bladed glaive on the ground. As the base of the staff touches the cobblestones underneath her, purple and white lightning suddenly appear and cackle wildly at the tip of the twin curved steel blades. The protective barrier encircles her, Hybrid, and Jupiter.

The giant monstrosity slams hard against it, sending purple lighting streaks across its surface. The powerful energy that makes up the protective shield surges for a few moments and temporarily blocks the view of the enemy from the others before returning to its original semi-transparent state. However, the mountain of a man isn't thrown backwards as one would have expected. He is simply halted momentarily and gives a wicked grin at the warriors before he takes a few steps back. He lifts his tree trunk-sized arms and begins to bang them against the barrier. When it remains intact, he continues his relentless pounding over and over again.

After about a minute, Sailor Saturn emits a loud scream. Caught completely by surprise, Sailor Jupiter rushes towards the smaller Sailor and catches her as she sinks down to her knees. The bottom of her staff remains against the ground, maintaining the barrier that is separating them from this man-beast.

"Sailor Saturn!"

"I don't think I can keep it up much longer," she says weakly. "He's too strong."

"Keep going until I can release my attack, can you do that?" Jupiter asks quickly.

Sailor Saturn gives a small nod to show that she understands. In a moment of extreme confidence, blocking out the mental anguish that she is feeling as the heavy fists continue to hammer against her energy shield, she finds her feet and focuses all of her remaining energy into the barrier.

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" Sailor Jupiter shouts, as her hands rise up in preparation for the wave of energy that would soon surge through her body. She crosses her arms over her chest with her index and pinky fingers extended. The lightning rod hidden inside the middle of her tiara extends upwards as a large bolt of lightning shoots down from the heavens above them. The tip of the rod crackles with blue-white electricity. She extends her arms and fires it towards the grey-colored enemy. Almost immediately, the lightning surge morphs into the head and hands of a dragon.

Just before the attack is fully released, Sailor Saturn lets down the wall just enough to let the power surge pass unobstructed. She desperately tries not to collapse as she feels that she would still be needed. Hybrid rushes to put his arm around her for support and together they watch the spectacle unfold. The giant bolt of Dragon-shaped electricity rushes forward and hits the giant man as he backs up to begin another barrage of hammer-like punches. An explosion of bright sparks buzz and splatter as the energy bolt strikes him but then quickly disappears, absorbed by the grey skin suit.

The man freezes as his body becomes paralyzed by the electricity. His eyes widen in surprise. His legs and arms seem to be the size of tree stumps and his giant chest muscles seize with waves of thin electrical current.

Sailor Jupiter turns to look back at her husband and friend who are still recovering their balance. Her eyes catch the movement of something behind them. Glancing in its direction, she sees a large black creature with pointed needle-like teeth. Immediately, she knows that this is one of the monsters that Luna had mentioned, the one that looked like the symbiotic version of her husband.

"Behind you!" she shouts, but it is too late.

The black creature took advantage of Sailor Saturn`s temporary drop of the energy shield and shoots forth two thick symbiotic strands with the possible intention of wrapping around Hybrid and Sailor Saturn. The symbiote that makes up his armor breaks its camouflage and is quick to react with two organic strands of its own to combat the oncoming ones from the new enemy. The different strands collide in mid-air and proceed to intertwine with each other. Almost immediately, both Hybrid and the symbiote-like creature begin to scream out as if in intense pain.

"What is happening?" Sailor Jupiter cries out.

"The two symbiotes are fighting with each other. They must be tearing each other apart, which is causing both hosts to experience intense pain," Sailor Saturn theorizes with a voice that is still weakened from the physical exertion that the battle had taken thus far.

"We have to separate them now!" Sailor Jupiter orders, worry evident in her voice.

Sailor Saturn gets to her feet and in a last burst of adrenaline, raises her glaive as she rushes toward the spot where the symbiotes are still entangled. When she is within striking distance, she swings her dual-bladed weapon down and slices cleanly through both sets of alien tissue. The force of the sudden severing sends both the creature and Hybrid falling backwards. Hybrid is able to recover first and jumps to his feet. He unsheathes the sword of Gaia.

A short distance away, the screaming inside the music store is deafening. Sailor Neptune tries to push the crowd back into the far corner while Sailor Uranus holds up her space sword. Through the shattered front window, a long mechanical tail like that of a scorpion darts back and forth, clearly trying to intimidate the innocent bystanders.

"Just stay back and try to remain calm," Sailor Neptune shouts to the panicked crowd around her. She can't believe that there isn't an exit through the back stockroom. That would have at least given the people a chance to escape. She would clearly have to take that issue up with the building management after all this is said and done.

"It figures," Sailor Uranus shouts back to her lover, gracefully dodging the green tail. "Our day off would naturally go something like this."

Sailor Neptune can't fully conceal her small smile as she holds up her Deep Aqua Mirror. "Who do you think this guy is?" she asks Sailor Uranus as she poses to attack.

"Not anyone we've fought before, that's for sure," Sailor Uranus says as she tries to slice at the tail as it comes back at her, its sharp point coming dangerously close to her leg. Her defensive strike misses, but luckily so does her attacker. This is supposed to have been a relaxing day in which she and her lover didn't have to travel around the world to apprehend any criminals or the other scum of society to be cleansed by the Silver Moon Crystal. They came to the local shopping district to buy new violin strings for Sailor Neptune's upcoming performance. They located the violin section and were comparing the different brands that were available. It was at that point that the glass window at the front of the store had shattered inward and the battle had begun.

Sailor Neptune is about to release a beam of energy using her Submarine Reflection attack, but a movement off to the side catches her attention. Something sharp pierces her right ankle, penetrating her white knee-high boot. She doesn't want the beam to miss its target, but the sudden pain takes her by surprise. Instinctively, she looks down to see what it is and is surprised to find a lizard biting her ankle.

"Ai!" The scream sounds inhuman, but it is beyond Sailor Neptune's control. She aims the Deep Aqua Mirror downwards and the silvery-aquamarine energy beam shoots towards the small scaly beast. She jumps away from the blast and the lizard and tries to shield herself from the bits of floor that fly up into the air around her upon impact.

The crowd of people continue panicking and screaming as they try desperately to escape, and when Sailor Neptune looks towards them to check on their progress, she can't believe her eyes. Reptiles of all shapes, colors, and sizes are falling from the ceiling, crawling up the walls, and climbing up on the helpless citizens that still remain inside the shop. Before Sailor Neptune can think of how best to save them and stop the scaly creatures from their bombardment, the people begin running from the corner of the store behind her and heading for the front entrance.

As the battle between Sailor Uranus and the green scorpion-man rages on, many of the people are hit by the scorpion's writhing tail and thrown against and even through the surrounding walls or display cases. A sudden pressure quickly builds up on Sailor Neptune's left leg and she looks down again to now see a large red python coiling itself around her thigh. Startled, she tries to grasp the snake's head with her free hand and pull it off.

"Uranus!" She cries out to her lover who is wrestling with the scorpion's tail in the hopes of allowing the rest of the crowd to safely exit the store. Sailor Uranus turns toward Neptune and her dark blue eyes widen in horror at the sight. Snakes and lizards have completely filled the music store. It is unlike anything she has ever seen before. She feels the tug of the tail in her hands still, which snaps her back into focus. She turns to look at her attacker again and without wasting another second, she leaps over him and plants a perfectly executed roundhouse kick to the middle of his back, which sends him sprawling forward onto the ground.

Using the brief distraction, she runs toward Sailor Neptune and with all her physical strength, she grabs the snake's head and tail that is wrapped around her lover's leg and pulls with all her might. While all this is going on, she kicks at the other reptiles by her feet that try to get in her way. The snake does not let go easily, but once it does and is in her hands, she throws it back towards the scorpion-man, hoping that they would collide and maybe even the snake would wrap itself around him, leaving her and Neptune alone.

"We need to get out of here," Sailor Uranus says, looking first at Sailor Neptune and then back at the scorpion-man. Without waiting to see Neptune's feverish nod, she raises her right hand above her head and collects the energy from her surrounding environment into her clenched fist. This instantly creates a sphere of pure energy that glows with a bright yellow luster. When the sphere is fully formed, she shouts, "World Shaking!" and punches it angrily into the ground while facing the green-suited menace before her. The sphere rockets through the ground, causing an earthquake before rising up a few feet before impacting against the scorpion's chest. The scorpion-man hybrid is thrown back into the air, and the two Sailors take this as their chance to escape.

They quickly run out the front door and are immediately bombarded by another terrifying scene. Hundreds of various reptile species litter the road in front of the music shop and the area nearby. Behind them, they can hear the scorpion hybrid beginning to return to his feet and the two Sailors know they need to get somewhere to put more space between them as quickly as possible.

"Come on!" Sailor Uranus says grabbing hold of Neptune's hand. They turn left, hoping to make their way out of the shopping district with the expectation that their adversary will follow them. They run several feet and prepare to turn down another road that will eventually lead to an open park space, but before they can make their final turn, something jumps down from a building wall to block their path.

Standing nearly seven feet tall with a long tail and gleaming red eyes is what looks like a lizard-human hybrid. It is wearing what looks like a tattered white lab coat that would be something a scientist or doctor might own. It wears tattered purple pants on its muscular legs. Its long snout gives it the appearance of an alligator, with its large white pointed teeth that are snarling at the two of them. It reaches forward with a scaly green hand and tries to swipe at the Sailors with its razor-sharp claws. Sailor Uranus jumps back and pulls her blade out again, ready to counterattack. The creature lunges forward with its arms outstretched and then leaps to one side where it clings to a building wall after its two targets successfully dodge its attack.

Without taking their eyes off the giant monstrosity, Sailor Uranus catches a blur of shadowy movement off to the side of the wall and hears a sound from behind them. She risks a quick glance back and grits her teeth. Two komodo dragons are rushing their way down the alley toward them. They let out horrible growls as they approach with open mouths, ready to bite. Sailor Uranus stands her ground, still ready to counterattack any threat made by the man-lizard that is still clinging to the wall, but now her attention is divided between it and the two large monsters rushing towards her. Meanwhile, Sailor Neptune quickly looks around herself and sees that the green scorpion menace has indeed followed them and is now making its way towards them behind the two large lizards.

"Uranus!" she yells. "We need to escape!"

"No, I can clear the way!" Comes her reply.

"Didn't you see how that lizard-man reacted? He's controlling them; they're innocent creatures, Uranus," counters Sailor Neptune, with alarm evident in her voice.

Sailor Uranus stands for a moment, thinking over Neptune's conclusion. If she is right, killing the komodo dragons would forever be on her conscience. She's also aware of the risk that if she fights them and is bitten, it is likely that she herself will not survive. As the distance between them and their adversaries rapidly begins to shrink, she makes up her mind and turns back to Sailor Neptune. The scorpion is getting closer and so are the two beasts behind it. They have to run and get everyone to a place where the citizens will be safe.

Meanwhile, across town, Sailor Venus stands hunched over as she tries to catch her breath. She has been outside running along the circular track that surrounds the Dufferin District Community Gym. The members of her track team make their way past her, allowing her to take a moment to rest and let them catch up. She lifts her head and smiles at them, offering words of encouragement as they jog by.

This team training session is part of her weekly routine and is definitely one of her favorite things to do. Every week at the same time, she and her team of runners would meet at the track and run continuously for an hour, if not longer. The team had a rotating roster, so not everyone that joined each week is necessarily a part of the team that competed in the friendly tournaments. Sometimes it was just nice to run and enjoy the weather, and anyone who wanted to was allowed to participate.

She loves the feeling of the cool breeze that is present in the air as she runs with the warm sun beating down on her. Being physically active has always been an important part of her life, and she is happy to have found a fairly large community of likeminded people to share that passion with. At that point, the last of the group just finishes passing her. She rights herself after catching her breath and is ready to start up again, so she heads after them.

"You guys are looking great today," her white cat Artemis calls out from the sidelines. He licks one of his front paws as he looks up at her after finishing his compliment. Sailor Venus slows down her pace and turned sideways so that she is facing him. She continues to jog in place to keep her heart rate up.

"You really think so? We've all definitely been working really hard," she smiles down at him as she pushes back a few loose strands of her long blonde hair while continuing to move her legs. She turns her head and looks down the track to watch the group run further ahead and make the wide turn around the far side of the building.

"Absolutely, I think the upcoming tournaments will be a lot of fun to watch this year," he replies back. Artemis is such a positive thinker, which is one of the traits that made their partnership so strong.

"I know! There are a lot of cute new boys that joined the team this year!" she says brightly, as a wide smile spreads across her face. Her cheeks become a few shades brighter as she speaks.

Artemis gives a deep sigh and looks down at the ground to hide the fact that he is rolling his eyes at her. Sailor Venus has been a bit boy crazy for as long as he has known her. She is technically the protector of love, and he knows it is just a part of who she is to be a dreamy romantic, but sometimes she says things that make him more than a little embarrassed for her.

As he is thinking this, something catches his eye off to the side. A dark shadow is rapidly moving across the ground before him and he lifts his head to see if Sailor Venus has seen it as well. It is clear that she hasn't, since she is still looking down at him with a dreamy smile on her face. A look of grave concern crosses his face as his internal intuition begins to flare up. It is clear that she is still too distracted by her own thoughts to notice the ominous threat.

Looking up, he can see something moving in the sky high above Sailor Venus' head. The afternoon sun makes it nearly impossible to make out what it is, but it appears to be a large bird with an enormous wingspan. He continues to stare up at it curiously, choosing to ignore his charge's current state of air-headedness. The bird-like creature appears to be circling the track, and is slowly coming lower and closer to the ground with each passing second. The wide circle that it is making is getting smaller as it draws nearer to the ground. As its features become more visible, he can see where it is looking and it becomes clear to the white cat that this flying potential threat isn't actually circling the track, but Sailor Venus and himself.

Artemis lets out a slight hiss to get Sailor Venus' attention and break her out of her daydreaming. She takes a moment to shake her head, bringing her out of her daydream and sending her hair falling all around her face as she does so. She looks down at her cat with curiosity before following his gaze upwards to the sky, following his line of vision. Her head tilts to the side as she watches the "bird" flying around just above them.

"Is... is that a man with wings?" She says finally, with a sense of confusion dripping from her words.

At this point the track team is rounding the side of the building and making their way back towards her, but when they notice the strange spectacle ahead of them, they immediately stop and begin to watch and point. Sailor Venus hears their surprised gasps, and she breaks her stare only to notice them for a moment before turning back to keep a serious eye on the curious creature.

"You should probably tell them to leave," she says quietly to Artemis, with a maturity in her voice that displays her authority. Her heart starts to pound as the man-bird sweeps even closer as the moments continue to tick by. She doesn't look away to see if Artemis indeed went to send the runners away, but her years of working with him tell her that he probably has. Instead, she hurries over to the backpack that she left lying on the side of the track and reaches in to pull out the special wand that she always carries with her.

It is somewhat unusual for her or any of the other first generation Sailors to be out of their sailor warrior uniforms. It is the main identifying characteristics that separate them from the citizens of the Crystal Kingdom and let it be known that they are the protectors of it. However, there are some situations where they would change out of their magical attire and this just happened to be one of those times. She had opted to wear some comfortable loose fitting track shorts and a tank top with a pair of running shoes, which felt more appropriate than trying to run or exercise in her knee-high white boots and short skirt.

With the wave of the wand in her hand, she calls out the activation phrase for her transformation… "Magellan Castle of Venus Make-Up!"

High above her in the clear blue afternoon sky, a bright orange star suddenly becomes visible. In less than a second, the star shines a beam of orange light down onto her. In a succession of bright flashes of light, she is transformed back into her ultimate Sailor identity and becomes the Eternal Sailor Venus once again.

While the transformation is quick and she quickly falls into a defensive pose to protect herself from this possible adversary, it is already too late. The giant creature swoops down with its sleek black wings bent backwards along its body and two slender legs with three sharp talons on each foot reaching down to grab her. She quickly jumps to the side to get out of the way and lands on the grass surrounding the track as it passes harmlessly by her. This allows her to catch a glimpse of the bird-man's face. He appears to be very old and the long hooked nose that decorates his wrinkled face heavily enhances his bird-like appearance.

"Who are you?" Sailor Venus shouts, quickly jumping back to her feet.

The bird-man tilts his body upwards and makes another wide circle in the air before diving back down towards the ground. He lands only a few feet away from her, allowing her to really get a good look at him. He is dressed in an almost-completely black suit that seems to shine in a strange metallic fashion. He has a bright red collar around the neckline that appears to have a strange texture. Along each of his arms are long black feathers that make his bird-like appearance so much more apparent. His bald head and wrinkled face hint at his age, and Sailor Venus can't help but wonder why such an old man would willingly dress and behave so strangely.

"You may call me the Vulture, my dear," he says with a cackle.

He flings his arm forward with a quick force and some of the feathers on his arms fly towards Sailor Venus like razor-sharp daggers. The motion is so quick that she only has a moment to realize that these are not normal feathers, but indeed sharp shining projectiles. She tries to jump out their way by throwing herself to the ground. The black serrated edges of the quills catch on parts of her clothing and scratch her arms just above her long white gloves. She lets out a sharp scream as she feels their piercing edges cut deep into her flesh. As she falls to the ground, she can't help but remember the pain she felt when the demon prince, Gaap, cut her across her back during their first encounter with him. She can tell that the slashes caused by the feathers are nowhere near as deep, but the resulting pain is still eerily familiar.

The Vulture cackles again as he stands and watches his opponent wither to the ground. More sharp feathers pop up along his arms from somewhere inside of the mechanical infrastructure of his wings as he prepares to send another wave of projectiles.

Sailor Venus sees this movement out of the corner of her eye and rolls quickly to the side to get up on one knee so that she can face her opponent. When she completes the movement, she shouts, "Crescent Beam Shower!"

Sailor Venus begins to rapidly collect energy from her surrounding environment into her right index finger. After a few seconds, she feels internally that she has the required amount of energy stored up. Without wasting any more time, she releases it in the form of a singular laser beam. As the beam approaches its target, it splits into multiple smaller beams, which all continue to shoot forward towards her enemy.

The barrage of beams slam into the Vulture, hitting him squarely in the chest. He is thrown back by the force of the blow and sails off the running track, slamming into the gym building's hard wall. She jumps back to her feet and presses her momentary advantage by rushing to watch as he slides down the wall to the ground. When she is within three feet of him, she suddenly stops.

"I stand for Love and Justice!" she shouts, as she poses into another defensive stance and prepares herself for his next attack. "I demand to know who you are and what business you have in Crystal Tokyo!"

The old man looks up at her with a cruel and arrogant smirk before cackling once again as he slowly stands up. He begins to flap his arms a few more times, but Sailor Venus does not flinch and bravely stands her ground. The Vulture jumps and shoots high up into the air, making her momentarily unsure of what to do. The evil laugh echoes above her and she suddenly is afraid that her adversary will fly off and cause some potentially serious destruction to another part of the city. She must stop him here!

Knowing the she only has a few seconds before it is too late, she calls upon her Venus Love-Me Chain and throws the golden energy cable up into the air towards him. The end of it wraps around the man's waist and holds on tightly. She can't let him get away, as there is no way of knowing what this crazy creature will do if he is allowed to go free. She digs the heels of her boots into the ground and uses her augmented physical strength to hang on to the chain with all her might.

"Sailor Venus!" Artemis' voice suddenly calls up to her from the ground below. She doesn't risk a look down at him, though she does give a quick nod of her head to show that she had heard him. She knows that she has to stay focused and continue to hold onto the chain, as the Vulture tries equally hard to fly away.

"I'm going to go and find the others!" The white cat shouts at her as he bounds off.

Suddenly and with little warning, the chain pulls further into the air with a sharp jerk as the Vulture manages to gain enough force to fly off. Sailor Venus finds herself lifted clean off the ground and she shrieks as she feels her feet leave the soft grass. She tries not to scream more as she ascends higher and higher into the air. She can't believe how strong this man is, even Gaap hadn't been this strong at his peak and she had been able to remain on the ground when she had wrapped her chain around his ankle. She has to neutralize this new threat as quickly as possible before any civilians are put in harm's way.

She tries with all her might to climb up the chain and reach him. The force of the winds at their current altitude and the swaying of the chain over the distance between them prevent her from making much headway. She decides that it is better to conserve her strength and simply wrap her legs around the chain, trying to hang on. The continuous dangling of the golden chain is making her feel nauseous and she knows there is very little that she can do about that right now.

As the world passes far below her, she can see that the Vulture is making his way towards the West Village shopping district of Crystal Tokyo. That particular area is usually heavily populated around this time of day, and she dreads the danger that the people are going to be in.

Somewhere down below her, Sailor Mars waves goodbye to the last temple visitor of the day. She normally keeps the temple open for the entire day and sometimes late into the night, because it is very important for her to keep the Serenetian Temple open as much as possible so that any citizens that felt the need to seek solace can go there without hesitation. She also does her best to keep herself ready at all times to help anyone that needs spiritual guidance. Every so often though, she has to close the temple early so that she can visit the Crystal Tokyo General Hospital and her friend and teammate Sailor Mercury. Even though she has made incredible medical advancements and can cure people of most ailments, every so often there is someone that even she and her team of medical specialists cannot completely cure. It is during these times when Sailor Mars visits those people and offers a caring ear or spiritual guidance and prayer if they request it.

On this particular day, she had not planned to shut the temple down as early as she did, however she couldn't in good conscience keep the place open to the public when her mind is distracted by what happened earlier in the day. She had been leading a guided meditation class with one of her regular weekly groups. Hot embers and a healthy fire sat in the middle of the circle of patrons.

That day, she had spoken quietly to the group members and assisted in guiding their breathing rhythm with the numbers she counted out loud. She had allowed her eyes to close as she breathed with them and then let her voice fall silent, essentially clearing her mind. Usually when she is the leader of this particular class, she would keep her eyes open and remain focused on the group and her words, but something today had been compelling her to close her eyes.

Suddenly her Zen had been shattered, disrupted by a chorus of shrill screams. Her body had jumped in surprise and the breath that she had been currently inhaling became caught in her throat. She tried to force the air out and focus on the screaming that she heard. She knew instinctively that they were coming from inside her mind and not from the group that was there in the room with her. There were seven of them (whatever they are); she could distinguish seven different voices crying out in pain.

Her violet eyes opened quickly and the screaming abruptly disappeared. The people around her remained firmly rooted in their meditation positions with their eyes closed while they continued to breathe deeply. She glanced around the room to look at each of their faces, wondering if any of them heard the screaming too or if any of them had noticed her body go rigid. It appeared that this was not the case and for a moment, she silently cursed her acute psychic abilities. While she didn't know what the seven screams meant, she quickly made up her mind to close the temple when this group was finished before anyone else could come in. This would allow her time to herself to investigate the cause and possible implications for the ominous premonition. She shook her head to temporarily clear her mind of her growing concern as her smooth voice led in to the next part of the guided meditation for the group.

Now, she stands outside underneath the large stone archway and watches as the last person makes it to the bottom of the temple stairs safely. The temple is located on one of the many rolling hills that surround the Crystal Palace. Ironically enough, it was determined by Sailor Mercury that the Serenetian Temple should be built on the same land that the Hikawa Shrine (the place she had worked and lived in back before The Great Sleep) stood upon. The main purpose of the temple was to allow anyone of any of the former worldly religions, such as Islam, Christianity, or Buddhism, to continue to practice their faiths as well as the new following that was created in honor of Neo-Queen Serenity, which had come to be known as Serenetism.

When the last person has disappeared from her sight, she makes her way down the first set of stairs to a small landing and sets out a large sign to inform visitors that the temple is closed for the day before making her way back up the stairs so she can meditate herself to try and figure out what that psychic audio meant. She slides open the large door to find Luna sitting stiff and ready.

"Something has happened, Mars," Luna prompts urgently. Sailor Mars blinks, fearing the worst. Luna quickly fills her in on the monsters that appeared in the shopping district earlier.

Luna, the black cat, spends most of her free time at the temple. Ever since Neo-Queen Serenity took on her newfound role as Queen of Earth, Luna found that her counsel became less and less necessary. The feline guardian is beyond pleased with how her prodigy grew and matured, as well as with how the other Sailors are much more self-sufficient without the need for her guidance most of the time. The large crystalline palace was her home once, but ever since the queen had instilled the magical wards that prevented unauthorized entrance into the interior, she found herself in a somewhat lonely position. This was especially true when the younger generation of sailors were not training with her or when Artemis was away with Sailor Venus.

The temple is quiet and peaceful and the perfect place for her to enjoy a day full of cat naps. Sailor Mars and the temple's numerous visitors are also enjoyable company when she decides to make her presence known. But now is not the time for a nap!

"We have to help them!" Mars exclaims, rounding on the door.

"No," Luna shouts, stomping one paw against the floor planks. To her chagrin, it barely makes a sound. "You will serve them better here. Jupiter wants you to use your psychic abilities to provide insight on what they are and where they come from."

Sailor Mars sighs as she slides the door closed again. She would much rather be in the heat of battle than pretzeled up on the floor. She walks past her feline friend to sit by the fire pit in the middle of the room. Its embers still glow. "I don't know how much good I can do with that," she mutters. "I sensed something earlier, something awful, during meditation. I can't focus properly."

"Did you sense the monsters?" Luna follows and sits down beside her and glances up towards the young temple owner.

"I don't think so," she whispers. Her brows knit together.

"What happened during the meditation?" Luna inquires in her familiar authoritative yet caring voice, with all of her paws now on the ground as she looks up at Sailor Mars.

In response, Sailor Mars sighs again, knowing the question that is coming next. "I heard screams," she admits, her eyes never leaving the fire pit.

Luna's eyes widen. "From where?"

"Not where… not literally anyway. It is purely a manifestation of psychic energy. There are seven of them, seven screams. I... I don't know what they mean."

"Hmm," Luna voices thoughtfully, "it has been a long time since any real threat has appeared, so I doubt it's anything quite as serious as that. Although, just to be safe... perhaps we should get the other sailors together and let them know. Maybe they can help us to decipher its meaning..." The rest of her statement is suddenly cut off by a knock at door.

Sailor Mars hesitates before standing up and turning to face it. She sighs again to show her slight irritation that her sign on the stairs turning guests away has been ignored. She walks to the door and opens it a crack. "Sorry, but we're closed at this time," she says in as sweet a voice as she can muster.

She peers through the crack to look at the visitor that had disrupted her conversation with Luna. The man is tall and appears to be very pale beneath his long black coat and black wide-brimmed hat. He wears round sunglasses, or tea shades, that made it difficult to make out his features accurately, even with his close proximity. His strange appearance, being dressed so oddly on a summer afternoon, makes Sailor Mars' stomach knot.

Slowly, the man reaches up and removes his sunglasses from his face. He casually folds them and places them into an inner pocket of his coat. His eyes are hollow, dark, and seem to give off a slightly reddish glare as he stares directly at the temple maiden. He puts his hand against the door and pushes it open even further to look deep into her violet eyes.

"I do believe we have an appointment," he says smoothly.

She trembles under his gaze, finding it extremely difficult to look away. "Oh. Yes, come in," she stammers. Her hand slips from the door's frame and the man pushes it even further open. She takes a step back, as she is unable to control the urge to let the stranger enter. He calmly steps in and closes the door behind him, never taking his eyes off her.

She can hear herself screaming somewhere in the back of her mind, what is she doing? Why did she let him in? Why couldn't she seem to look away from those dark reddish eyes? She tries to shake herself free and tries to force herself to tell him to leave, but finds that she can't. She stands there completely vulnerable and unable to break away from whatever this man is doing to her. Why hadn't her own psychic powers warned her not to open the door? And is he responsible for the screams that she had heard earlier?

Down at her feet, Luna tries to acquire her attention by meowing. For a brief moment, the trance that she is in breaks, and she looks down at the black cat brushing up against her leg.

"Who are you?" she manages to say, not looking back at the strange man.

"You may call me Morbius," he says slowly. He speaks with a thick accent that makes her immediately recall a movie that she had seen long ago at Sailor Venus' former house about an American boxer who has to fight against a Russian boxer. Her worldly knowledge tells her that whoever this man is, he more than likely is from the area that had once been known as Eastern Europe.

Suddenly and without warning, he lunges at her. Quick as lightening, he throws himself against her and grabs her arms firmly in his hands. He pushed her across the room and throws her up against the solid interior wall, pinning himself against her body to hold her arms securely above her head.

"Sailor Mars!" Luna screams from across the room.

The mysterious attacker does not seem at all phased by the unexpected outburst from the small black cat behind him, as his grip on her remains firm. Sailor Mars' can't help it as her body shakes with fear and she instinctively looks up at the man's gruesome face in terror. A cruel smile dances across his face, revealing two sharp fangs protruding from his upper jaw. Even though she cannot actually see it, she swears that she feels his fingernails extend into sharp claws as they grip her wrists. She continue to try to physically fight against him using her augmented physical strength and gather the energy that is necessary for one of her attacks, but it is futile and suddenly she is looking deep into the red-rimmed dark eyes. She can't help it and immediately she feels herself lost and under his spell once again.

It is then that the man freezes and his face softens for a moment, as if he is somehow surprised at how easily his prey had fallen into his grasp. His grip relaxes for a brief moment and suddenly Sailor Mars is released from his hypnotic stare.

She takes the opportunity and manages to free her hands. Not wasting any time, she screams, "burning mandala!" She moves her hand in a circular motion around her body, creating a ring of fire. The ring then turns into eight smaller rings that quickly fly toward the seemingly demonic "man".

Morbius is quick, quicker than anyone she had ever seen, and he somehow manages to dodge the multiple flaming discs being shot at him. Luna runs at him from behind as he is caught off guard and jumps on to his back to dig her sharp claws in, but somehow he seems to know that the attack is coming and jumps out of her way while still gracefully missing the projectiles from Sailor Mars. With that, he turns and runs to the door. With a swift motion, it is suddenly opened and he runs from the building.

Sailor Mars shakes her body quickly to bring herself back to reality and ensure that she is no longer under any of her mysterious attacker's hypnotic power. She runs to throw open door, hoping to see him still rushing down the stairs ahead of her. She is more than a little surprised that she can't see him. Even if he possesses some sort of superhuman speed, he couldn't have gotten so far ahead of her that her own enhanced speed wouldn't have at least kept him in her sights. She is very much aware that her psychic abilities are becoming operational again, as her attacker's influence is disappearing with his abrupt and unexpected departure. They are telling her that he is still somewhere nearby and she knows that she has to go after him while she still has the chance. The safety of Crystal Tokyo is at stake, and she has a duty to protect it from any and all threats.

"I'll get the other sailors," Luna says as she brushes past Sailor Mars' feet and quickly descends the stairs that led to the street.

She races down the temple stairs and turns the corner to head toward the Crystal Tokyo General Hospital. Ahead of her on the sidewalk she sees a small white blur racing towards her. She soon finds herself face to face with Artemis, who is frazzled and out of breath.

"Sailor Venus is in trouble!" he says quickly. "We need to get the others."

"Sailor Mars was attacked too," Luna replies.

"Is it a flying man dressed in black armor of some sort?" His eyes widen as he asks her the question.

"No, this is another man," Luna says, her eyes narrowing in thought. "But I think I saw that one as well just now. Something is happening… but I have no idea what yet!"

Artemis nods to show that he agrees with her as his face expresses their shared concern.

"I'll get Sailor Mercury and then find Sailor Jupiter and Hybrid. I think Sailor Neptune and Uranus are in the Nanaimo Shopping District. Go and find them. And while you're at it, see if you can find Sailor Saturn as well."

He gives another quick nod before leaping off in the direction of the Nanaimo District of Crystal Tokyo. Luna takes his cue and continues her frantic race towards the hospital. It has been so long since there had been an attack of any sort, yet the memories flood back with ease. She is still shocked by the man she had just seen and the events that had happened just a few moments earlier. The mysterious attacker had Sailor Mars in his grasp and was able to hypnotize her unlike any enemy they battled before. Why had he not finished her off though? Morbius, as he called himself, easily could have finished off Sailor Mars right then and there… but why hadn't he? This question continues to burn in her brain as she weaves and dodges through the streets' pedestrian traffic.

The building is alive with hellish commotion as staff and patients alike swarm the stairwells and elevators. People are screaming and running through the halls. Pieces of paper are scattered all about the floor, some still fluttering down through the air. And somewhere from below, over the din, everyone can hear the breaking, crunching, and buckling as Doctor Octavius thunders through the hospital.

Sailor Mercury, dressed in her using hospital attire, a white doctor's coat over her sailor uniform, rounds the corner outside one of the X-ray rooms. She balks, seeing the eight limbed figure looming not too far away from her. Her eyes widen. It can't be!

"Doctor… Octavius?!" she exclaims. They have met before - in passing - but never on individual terms. She knows of him: his research and clout in the nuclear community, a community that was disbanded due to the its warmongering and the long list of potential environmental problems associated with it. His long mechanical enhancements that were sprouting out from behind him made him look monstrous. She fists her hands defiantly at her sides.

"Hello, Sailor Mercury," he says, staking the pincers of his lower set of mechanical arms into the ground. They lifted his feet from the floor so that he is hovering above it. She knew it was a display to further intimidate her. His white lab coat is open and flutterers around his ankles. Underneath it, Sailor Mercury could see that he was wearing some sort of green and yellow body armour. He opens his real arms and unfurls his fingers, his upper set of mechanized limbs doing much the same. Their pincers spin and snap nefariously.

"I knew I would find you here." A horrible smile blooms over his lips. His eyes are hidden behind a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses.

_Where are the rest of the Sailorsenshi?_ She wonders in alarm. Are they hurt? Do they even know?

Sailor Mercury plants her feet and, squares her shoulders. She then musters her most strident voice. "This is a hospital, a place of healing! You are trespassing on the sacred lands of Her Highness, Neo-Queen Serenity. Your violent ways are not welcome. By order of the Queen, you must leave immediately!"

"What an elegant way of giving someone the boot," the doctor remarks, steeping his thick, greedy fingers. Suddenly, one of his upper metal arms lashes out and seizes her by the waist. Sailor Mercury stifles a scream, her body thrashes as it plucks her off the floor and into the air with ease. The technological horror does not squeeze hard enough to cut into her skin or impede her breathing, but she knows that just a few more ounces of pressure would do the trick. In no time at all, soon enough, she is eye level with the nefarious Doctor.

She braces her hands against the pincers and draws her expression into a hard scowl, "what do you want?"

He smiles a seedy smile. "I think we both know the answer to that."

"I won't let you hurt Serenity!" she manages to say through gritted teeth, writhing in the metal clasp of the metal arm.

"Oh," he snickers in his thick Germanic accent. "But I have not come for Serenity."

Sailor Mercury abruptly stops struggling, confusion surging through her and becoming plainly visible on her face. What does he want? She has just enough time to meet his eyes before the arm snaps to the side and, tosses her aside. She barrels through a wall, strikes another, and slides down to the floor with a painful grimace. The mechanically enhanced menace watches her with intense and ugly interest as her body crumples down to the floor. Sailor Mercury ignores the intense pain and she leaps back to her feet. She can't be distracted by the pain right now, she needs to think fast. It is all about strategy where Doctor Octavius is concerned.

The first thing she has to do is find higher, open ground! There are still people inside the hospital that could get hurt. She must lead him away from the building. As her mind feverishly tried to develop a plan to do that all four of Doctor Octavious' metal arms whip towards her.

She crosses her forearms, conjuring a turquoise orb before her. "Mercury Aqua Mist!" she calls. She flings her arms open. The orb bursts, dispensing a thick white cloud that quickly combs the area and envelopes her opponent. She dashes to the left to avoid the wildly flailing arms caused by her enemy's temporary blindness by the fog. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees one of the arms smash through a reception desk and another through a stone pillar. Amidst the rumbling of falling masonry around her, Sailor Mercury searches frantically for a way out. The nearest stairwell is blocked by Doctor Octavius. The windows are Plexiglas and would need something with considerable momentum to break them.

Her eyes land on potentially the only object large enough and close enough to make a feasible exit. She could never lift it. But… Sailor Mercury whimpers as she knows she has no choice. She bends down and grips the object with both of her hands. Using the augmented strength in her legs and back, she slowly lifts it and beholds the precious object like a mother would a child. She needs a way out, for the good of the residents and her patients.

"I suppose I'll have to make another one after this one," she laments.

Luna pauses in front of the Crystal Tokyo General Hospital. She can't afford to stop, but she has to hold onto the hope that she can make her way into the facility and find Sailor Mercury quickly and undetected. Without warning, the sounds of breaking glass fill the air above her, and a large metal machine plummets towards the earth. It looks like a CT-scan machine, which is a very weighty piece of technology.

But what could possibly have thrown that out the window?

She looks up towards the large broken window and is more than a little surprised to see Sailor Mercury leaping through it and rolling to her feet in the grass a short distance away from her.

"Sailor Mercury!" Luna cries, rushing over to her. "What's happening?"

"Doctor Octavius is in the hospital," she relays breathlessly. "He has-!" Her sentence is cut off as another window breaks behind and above them. As the glass exploded outwards, four large mechanical arms erupt from the opening and shoot downward before slamming into the ground near them. The arms' body follows a second later.

"Run!" Sailor Mercury shouts. She and Luna pivot in the opposite direction at the same time and do just that.

They sprint up a grassy incline that will leading them towards the West Village shopping district. One of Doctor Octavius' arms spears towards Sailor Mercury. She vaults over it. She can hear the crash of its pincers against the ground as he finds his bearings and rushes after her.

"Keep running Luna!" she exclaims, veering away from the bounding black cat.

"Mercury!" Luna calls after her. "I'll find the others!" Luna calls out to her before she turns and she races down the road.

One of Octavius' arms inadvertently strikes a fire hydrant. Water erupts from the top. Sailor Mercury whirls around, skidding to a stop.

"Mercury Bubbles! Freeze!" she shouts, thrusting her arms forward along with the enchantment. The water solidifies into a thick barrier of ice. It juts up, blocking the doctor's path. It takes him all of two strikes to smash through it. Chunks of ice hurtle towards her. She jumps aside as the debris collides with the ground, managing to dive behind a hedge. She scrambles backwards, pressing the slender breadth of her back into the brush.

Think, Mercury. Think!

She could use her visor to analyze his weaknesses, if only she had enough time to study him. She needs to be farther away – higher up.

"Why do you run from me?" he asks. He's tempting her. His tone is different than before. She holds her breath. She can hear the scrape and thud of his pincers against the grass. She presumes he is searching for her. Some luck at last! He does not know where she is. She has time to think.

"You have incredible aptitude, Sailor Mercury. You just chose to play for the wrong team."

No, no. She cannot be distracted by his mindless rambling. She has to concentrate.

"You and I have more in common than you realize," he continues. "I remember what it's like to be bullied – made fun of, ostracized, all because you were smarter than your peers – because you worked harder than everyone else. And you are smarter than your peers, aren't you?"

I heard she has a 300 IQ.

Doesn't that girl do anything but study?

Man, what a nerd.

No one will ever date a bookworm like her.

She'll probably marry a book!

And the snickering. Oh, she remembers the snickering.

Sailor Mercury looks down at her hands, recalling her school days long, long, ago.

"I understand you. We would make quite a pair," he presses.

Aligned with a villain. Sailor Mercury cringes, disgusted by the very thought. No. She will not let him win! Her loyalty to Neo-Queen Serenity and the Sailor Senshi transcends all other passions. She would die for her friends! Sailor Mercury shuts her eyes tightly. She must block him out.

"Doctors together – shapers of life and symbols of wisdom."

Sailor Mercury knows her ice is not strong enough to destroy the mechanical arms, but she could douse and freeze the arms until they briefly become too cold to function.

"Enough!" she declares, surging to her feet. She rounds on him from behind the hedge, visible from the waist up. His attention snaps in her direction.

"You're wrong. I do not want to be anything like you." Her eyes shimmer with truth and confidence. "You are the embodiment of destruction and death. You're not a doctor anymore, Octavius. Now, you're just a psychopath."

Doctor Octavius bears his teeth in a feral snarl, his countenance darkening. "You and I have been locked in combat for longer than I care to admit, Sailor Mercury. But our battles are waged differently, aren't they? Vying for recognition, repute, and media attention. Who gave you the authority to nullify everything I've built! Well, now I've come for you, Sailor Mercury. You'll pay. You, who damned my life's work. You, who left me with nothing!" He lunges towards her.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" she calls.

Water hurls forward, dousing him. He recoils. She readies for the follow-up attack. Doctor Octavius slams all four of his arms into the ground. It ruptures in response. Cracks scour the surface. The quake unsettles her footing and she falls. Another One of the arms lashes out and snatches her up. She shrieks as it flings her through the air. Sailor Mercury hits the statue in the middle of the square that their battle has moved to and sinks to the ground… unconscious.

**End of Chapter 4**


	6. The Unthinkable!

**Chapter 5: The Unthinkable**

**"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, remains and is immortal." **

**- **_**Mason Albert Pike**_

The junior Sailors crowd the entrance of the ice cream parlor. They peer out into the chaotic commotion, watching their elders battle with the villains. They each take careful note of the differences in their various appearances. This is a strange situation, even by their standards. They have been trained to combat clusters of _similar_ opponents, not a horde of different creatures. There seems to be a different beast for each of their mentors, specially selected to nullify their strengths; all endowed with markedly different abilities and attacks. Tera recognizes the rhinoceros-like characteristics of Saturn's opponent, the reptilian scales of Neptune's opponent, and the scorpion tale of Uranus' opponent. The sudden arrival of the two older Sailors a few minutes ago caught everyone by surprise. Tera balks. These creatures are all based, at least in some measurement, in Earth biology.

"Look!" Sailor Ceres cries, diverting their attention upwards.

They glance up just in time to see a shrieking Sailor Venus fall from the sky, clinging to what's left of her 'love-me' chain that no longer supports her, and lands on top of Hybrid, who is still recovering from his painful melding with the black symbiotic creature.

"Venus!" Sailor Jupiter yells, dashing over to them.

"Nice of you to drop in," Hybrid grumbles from beneath the blond-haired guardian, picking the both of them up from the shallowly cratered ground caused by downward collision of forces created by Sailor Venus' outwardly tough body making contact with Hybrid's equally dense musculature. He leaps aside with Sailor Venus in one arm and Sailor Jupiter in the other just in time to avoid his inverted mirror's lashing tentacles. Above them, an enormous black bird-like man is circling. He emits a series of calls, intermingling cackles with shrieks. Sailor Pallas covers her ears.

Tera does a double take and blinks at Usagi, who is eating her ice cream as though she is in a theater watching the latest blockbuster, or more pertinently an intriguing play. Her face is a picture of fierce determination, but the ice cream gives her no clout. Tera knows she means well, as Usagi's faith in the Sailor warriors is without question.

"How can you be eating at a time like this?!" The brunette sputters out the question. Usagi stops mid-mouthful and her naive eyes sheepishly slide to Tera. She appears as though she might formulate a response, but she does not get to say it. Tera's attention is torn away when, some distance away, Mars races into the fray.

"Who are these guys?!" Sailor Venus demands when Sailor Mars comes abreast her.

"Where did they all come from?!" Sailor Mars exclaims. There is a clamor to their right as people herd through the street, screaming and fleeing from something that cannot yet be seen through them. Suddenly, the sea of people parts as Sailor Mercury's body bowls into Sailor Mars. Sailor Mars skids backwards but manages to brace her feet in time to support the slender doctor's weight. She holds her limp body beneath the pits of her arms. She loses her balance at the last moment, tripping over the curb.

"Mercury!" Sailor Jupiter shouts.

Sailor Venus cries. "Mars are—" But the sobering shock in Sailor Mars' face, even lying on the curb with a disheveled Mercury splayed out in her arms, silences the curvaceous blond. Sailor Mercury is unresponsive. She is deadweight and unconscious. The girl's head whip rightward to see a man with four mechanical arms striding up the road. The arms flail about, smashing into all manner of objects in his path and hurling them aside. Underneath him; the two bottom pincers of the metal limbs crack the cobblestones that make up the street.

Tera looks on, undone with horror. _This cannot be happening!_ Three hundred years of ceaseless training and intense preparation flies right out the window. Where has her courage gone? And this sudden depletion of valor stores is not just the case where she is concerned either. It seems like all the girls are suffering the same effect: frozen and fettered in place by fear and inexperience. She now understood Sailor Saturn's earlier comment about experiencing the darkness of battle. However, she can't just stand here and not do anything. She is a sailor warrior and its her duty to protect the people of this city and the world as a whole. She balls her hands into fists and begins to take a few steps towards the closest enemy to them, the large man dressed like a bright green scorpion.

"No Tera! Stay where you are!" Sailor Uranus barks at her, stopping the young Sailor in her tracks. Tera hesitates for a second and makes another attempt to join the fight but a cold intense stare from her older short haired mentor froze her in place.

"Get back inside where it is safe. Protect the people still inside." Sailor Mars added in between evasive lifts to avoid the black symbiote's tentacles.

If their predecessors did not want them to fight, what does that say about their skills? Does it not display a lack of faith in them, and therefore they should lack faith in themselves? Moreover, how could they hope to defeat an enemy that is currently overpowering the original Sailors? Tera and the others feel uncommonly small and helpless as the events unfold.

To make the situation even worse, another villain joins the assembly: a shade lighter than pale with long wavy black hair and cat-like claws. Sailor Mars appears to know him as her eyes light up with recognition. She clasps her hands together in the shape of a gun, firing a series of fire balls at him. He dodges them with blinding speed. Other attacks from the rest of the Sailors continuously erupt from all directions in a flurry of shapes and colors.

Sailor Pallas seizes Sailor Ceres by the hand. She cowers behind her slightly, her eyes shimmering with anxiety. "Who are they?" she whispers.

Sailor Juno sets her teeth into a snarl and fists her hands. She and Sailor Vesta are poised to spring, but even they have an air of uncertainty about them.

"We have to do something!" Sailor Vesta proclaims. "They're getting creamed out there!"

"No," Tera negates, raising her arm as though to bar their way. "They told us to wait here and stay out of sight. They told us to stay safe!" She turns back to the battle. Her parents know best. They have always known best! And Tera would rather die than defy them again. "They can do this," she insists, more so to herself than the others.

What if they do need them? What if...

Even Usagi appears to have lost interest in her ice cream, which is melting as surely as her confidence is. Her eyes are locked on the possible massacre. This is all wrong! She waits for a miracle, one of that moment that always seems to happen in the many historical lessons they have been taught about the ancient Sailor battles - one of those moments when the tide suddenly turns in the Sailors' favor and they overcome the insurmountable odds. But the minutes continue to tick by remorselessly… and no such phenomenon occurs.

Sailor Mars is tackled to the ground by the pale man. Sailors Saturn and Jupiter, both wounded and drained of strength, narrowly avoid being crushed in another of the rhino-man's vicious charges. The black birdman's glossy wings keep deflecting Sailor Venus' attacks. He swoops down with his talons bared. Sailors Uranus and Neptune can barely stand, facing off against the large scorpion and reptilian felons. The leader of the monsters, the man with the metal arms is moving along the outer perimeter of the battle area, lashing out his artificial limbs in vicious punches and swipes to keep the sailors' attention divided.

But out of all the monsters, the one that terrifies Tera the most is the one battling with her father. The black creature bares such an uncanny resemblance to her symbiotic form, and the former form of her father from the images she saw in the historical archives. She watches it lash about, opening its jagged jaws to unleash unholy screams and roars, launching black tendrils into the air, and tearing into its opponents. Some of them drip with the blood of the bystanders Hybrid failed to protect. It is fast and agile, ugly and awful.

Is that... what she could be become? Is that... what lurks inside of her?

"Tera?" Usagi pipes up, pulling on her sleeve. Tera's flesh crawls. She is paralyzed by the deadness in the creature's white pupil-less eyes, the likeness in resemblance, and by the fact that this black beast seems to be... overtaking her father!

The gang of monsters gradually corrals the Sailor soldiers, backing them into a tightening group in the center of the square.

"Dad!" Tera screams when the black symbiote hurls Hybrid through the air and into the midst of the group. Sailor Jupiter tries in vain to rouse him.

"This is bad," Sailor Ceres realizes hoarsely. They gawk in terror.

The man with the many mechanical arms extracts a compact from his coat pocket. He produces it in his palm and holds his hand outward. He turns towards where the junior Sailors cower, wearing a nefarious smirk. The compact opens on its own. A blinding blue light erupts from inside and expands outwards, swallowing all within the immediate circle. The junior Sailors raise their hands and arms to shield their eyes. The Sailor soldiers in the midst of the light start shouting.

"Mom! Dad!" Tera shrieks. The only response is a deep dark chuckle that rumbles through the air, an octave below the din.

When the light fades, the square is empty. The monsters and the Sailor warriors are gone. Tera staggers forward, finally finding the will to move. She musters her strength and dashes out into the plaza. Her last conversation with her parents roars to life with a vengeance. Tera's outburst… and the fact that she has yet to make amends, weigh heavily on her. Tera whirls in all directions, searching wildly. Other civilians are emerging from their hiding places.

"Mars! Mercury!" Usagi calls for them too; having raced after Tera. Tera rounds on her friends who stare back at her, mirroring the dread on her face. Sailor Pallas clings to Sailor Ceres's arm, unable to quell the quivering of her lip. Her eyes shimmer and swim with tears as she searches for their friends and mentors.

"They're gone," Sailor Vesta says through gritted teeth. Her eyes are full of regret and anguish.

The pulsing blood in her ears does nothing to drown the last things Tera had said to her parents - their fight. She said they were ready to face real monsters - real adversaries - but when the time came, not an hour later...

"No, they can't be!" Sailor Juno insists.

Usagi joins her. "They're the Sailor Warriors, protectors and defenders of the galaxy! They're undefeated! They're unmatched! They're-!"

"They're gone," Tera chokes, confirming their greatest fear.

A long, heavy silence follows. Onlookers start to mutter amongst themselves. There is panic in the air and the reaction is contagious. Sailor Vesta starts to wring her hands.

"What should we do?" Sailor Ceres whispers, voicing the question in each of their young minds. Her arms are wrapped around Sailor Pallas, who is shivering uncontrollably. Tera struggles to maintain her own composure. She swallows dryly, gulping down her heart. She must will the tears away. She must not let her friends see her cry. She must regain control of herself before she faces them again. Mercifully, there is a hand on her shoulder. Tera glances at Usagi who now stands beside her. The optimism in her eyes buoys Tera's sinking stomach.

"We are going to the Crystal Palace, immediately," Usagi answers. Tera's brows knit together with resolve. She nods affirmatively. This eases some of the worries storming around in her gut. If anyone will know what to do and what is going on, it will be Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion.

By the time the junior Sailors make it to the Crystal Palace, the sun has set and the violet sky is awash in glittering twilight. The six young women pass an enormous hexagonal fountain in the courtyard, wreathed in flowers of every color. The water flows, undaunted, in shimmering strands, clearer than the purest diamond.

They ascend the many steps of the Crystal Palace. They stay wary, just in case another of those monsters is still lurking around somewhere. At the top, where the stairs tapper off and spill out into a wide landing, they are met by a wall of palace guards.

"I need to see my m- I mean, we seek audience with the King and Queen. It is very important," Usagi announces. The soldiers recognize her as the princess. They are all well acquainted with the junior Sailors but Tera has never seen so many of the soldiers in one place before. Ever since her father invaded the Palace with the intention of assassinating the king and queen, the guards had become extra careful about letting anyone inside its interior, even the sailors themselves, just in case an enemy had mind controlled them with the intention to finish what Carnage could not.

Tera wishes, fleetingly as she moves past the guards, that she had taken better care to learn their names before now. One of them, whom she recognizes as a former upper classmen from her school, is especially easy on the eyes. He stands at a height befitting a soldier, with pale green eyes and strawberry blond hair framing a handsome face in the prime of its youth. But now is not the time to fraternize.

They are escorted through the palace, under the soaring archways and over the seamless immaculate pearl floors, to the throne room. The jeweled doors yawn open. Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion stand in the midst of the room, instead of sitting in their thrones on the sloping dais behind them. King Endymion is clutching Serenity's hands. Their concerned conversation stops.

"Usagi!" Serenity exclaims, ripping out of her husband's loving grasp. She lifts her snowy skirts and races towards her.

Usagi's eyes suddenly swim with tears. "Mama!" The young adult cries back in a much less strident voice than before. She sounds closer to bursting into sobs. Usagi meets her mother halfway across the floor. Their matching hairstyles settle around them, draping down in slender waterfalls. Endymion is there in a few long strides, wrapping both women up in his strong arms. The family temporarily drops the illusion of royal protocol to soak up the relief. It is obvious that they knew something was desperately wrong but they did not know whether or not the catastrophe had ensnared their precious daughter as well.

Tera feels the lump in her throat thicken. Will she ever get to hold her parents like that again?

"Are you girls alright?" The King asks urgently, breaking his family's embrace and crossing towards where the five of them wait. The Silver Moon Crystal must have alerted them of the problem. His cape is swept up in his wake. They bow their heads in reverence. Then, the junior Sailors look at one another, fighting tears of their own.

"They took them, Your Highness," Sailor Vesta informs.

"Who?" Endymion demands, his face a picture of regality.

"Everyone," Sailor Pallas answers brokenly, continuously wiping her teary cheeks. King Endymion's eyes widen, assuming a defensive posture. His attention strays to Tera, whom he knows must be devastated and frightened by the loss of her family and the sight of Usagi embracing hers.

"Who took them?" He presses. He is a gentle soul and the girls know that the rage in his aura is not directed at them.

"Monsters," Sailor Juno answers through a tight jaw.

Sailor Ceres nods her head, keeping Sailor Pallas' hand in a firm, soothing hold. "We've never seen them before."

A furious glimmer appears in King Endymion's eyes. He seizes the hilt of his sword reflexively. "Can you describe them?" he asks, his eyes traveling from face to face. The girls do their best to nod. Serenity leaves Usagi to embrace Tera. The young guardian clutches her tightly. It is all she can do not to break down.

The young Sailors describe the situation and the harrowing events they witnessed to the King and Queen who grow more troubled with every word.

"They've been captured," Serenity whispers; seeming to stare through the floor into a hopeless void beneath. It is clear from the look on her face that she is still having a hard time processing this. For her own health, she cannot stray far from the Crystal Palace. Tera imagines that had this not been the case, she would have been fighting side by side with her friends… like old times.

Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion excuse themselves to speak in a more private alcove of the throne room.

"This is truly terrible," Serenity laments, clenching her fists above her aching heart. "Our dear, dear friends..."

"We must ask the junior Sailors to fulfill their destiny and go after them," Endymion advises. "We can guide them."

Serenity shakes her head. "I cannot ask that of them. They're so young. They do not yet understand. They do not know how cruel evil can be. They are not yet ready."

Endymion braces a knuckle under her chin and gently lifts her face to meet her eyes. He beholds her as one might a precious gem. "They have each other. Those bonds will carry them through, just like they carried you. Readiness is more a state of mind than a state of being. We have seen them train for three centuries, and we could prolong the instruction through many more, but it is time for them to learn by _doing_. A blacksmith can learn all there is about crafting metals, but until he takes up his own tools and adds fire to his own kiln, he will never know his own capabilities."

"We have to do something!" Sailor Juno proclaims, raising her hand high only to bring it down into a fist.

"We should send a search party," Sailor Ceres suggests.

"Agreed!" says Sailor Vesta.

Sailor Ceres puzzles up her expression. "A squadron of royal guards?"

"Only the finest!" Sailor Vesta remarks, staking her hands on her hips.

"No!" Usagi shouts. All heads turn towards her, including Serenity and Endymion. She takes a deep breath. "Everyone... Don't you see? We are the only ones left. We are the only ones who have the power to bring our loved ones home!" She has uncovered the elephant in the room, even without the prompting aid of her parents. No one dares to move, or even breathe. Usagi ventures a step nearer to Tera. "Tera, Weren't you saying just today, and for a long time before now, that we should be fighting for real? This is our chance!" Tera averts her eyes. She is too shaken to concur with the statement she knows is true.

"What can we do?" Sailor Juno asks.

"Yeah. You saw what happened out there, princess," Sailor Vesta mumbles. "We froze." There is shame in her face. She shifts uncomfortably.

"We're not Sailor warriors. Not like them," Sailor Ceres whispers crestfallen. Sailor Pallas sniffles, clutching herself tightly.

Tera starts to shake her head, replaying the scenario in her memory. "No," she blurts. Tears burn in her eyes. She shuts them tightly. "It was my fault." Her shoulders sag. She looks at her hands. "Sailor Uranus told us to stay put. I didn't want too but I respected her order, partly because I was afraid."

Usagi is quick to respond. "We all were! Tera, you were only doing what we were told to do!" Usagi insists.

"And if they told us not to fight, what does that say about our own abilities?" Sailor Vesta remarks through gritted teeth. Her brows knit together. "It says we are not ready."

"No!" Usagi counters. "Listen. Everyone, listen! We've been training for this day for three hundred years! We've worked so hard to become a team and fight in the name of all that is good and true. We have learned from the best. And now, our mentors and family need our help! It's our time! We have earned this opportunity. This is our first true field test!"

Sailor Juno shakes her head. "We don't even know what they want or even where they went."

"The stakes are too high," Sailor Ceres reminds her. "They could die if we fail."

"Are they?" Usagi challenges. "Are they too high? Do you think, when Sailor Jupiter had to face the evil in Carnage, her one true love, did she say the stakes were too high? Did my mother give up when all her friends were dead and she had to face Queen Beryl and later, Sailor Galaxia all alone? The stakes will always be high! Because life is precious and we have so much to lose! But that only means it is worth fighting for. Together!"

"I'd be too scared," Sailor Pallas manages.

"I'm scared too," the princess supplies, "but this is our moment, girls." Usagi tries to appeal to each of them, doing her best to catch their eyes in a gaze pregnant with conviction. She casts a fleeting glance at her parents. "I am going. I must." To the junior Sailors, "But I need each of you with me. I cannot do this alone. Juno. I'll need your speed and cunning. Vesta, your endurance and determination. Ceres, your quick mind and careful planning. Pallas, your kind and loving heart and Tera, your intellect and strength. You are, perhaps, the most powerful of us all. Please..." Usagi looks from face to face. They all mull it over. The mood in the air slowly begins to change. Neo-Queen Serenity's eyes shimmer with tears of great pride.

"Princess Usagi isn't going anywhere without me," Sailor Vesta proclaims, putting her best foot forward and drawing her lips into a grim line.

"I have been itching to try out some new moves," Sailor Juno admits.

Sailor Ceres clasps her hands. "If we work together, maybe we can do it."

Sailor Pallas unwraps herself from her arms and takes a shaky breath. "I'll do my best... for them."

Usagi smiles, proud and relieved to hear their change of heart. But there is one who has yet to answer her call. "Tera?" Usagi asks, turning towards her dear friend who is leaning against one of the stone columns away from them all. She gazes out into the empty space in front of her. Usagi cannot tell what she is thinking, but she can imagine what she is feeling.

"Those monsters destroyed our home. They hurt our friends. And they took my parents." Tera fists her hands. "I will not let my fear get the best of me again!" She turns her head over her shoulder, fixing Usagi in a look the princess has never seen the likes of on Tera. They all see something dark and dangerous flash across her eyes - a great and terrible glint that speaks not of threat, but of promise. "Next time, it is them who will fear _me_."

**End of Chapter 5**


	7. On Their Own

**Chapter 6**

**"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." **

**- **_**Eleanor Roosevelt**_

The early morning hour brings the day's first rays of sunlight through the crystal colonnade. Following sporadic sounds of distress, Tera rounds the corner into Usagi's room. The princess is seated on a bulging suitcase, intent on using her weight to close it.

Tera blinks rapidly. "Usagi, we're going on a quest. The idea is to travel light. You know, bring only the essentials?"

Usagi fixes her in a mortified stare. "All of this _is_ essential! What if we meet cute boys? I can't go waltzing around looking like a slob and smelling worse!"

Tera sighs and massages her temples. She and the senselessly optimistic Usagi cope with their grief in entirely different manners. Instead of brooding, like Tera does, Usagi's mood swings wildly from one end of the spectrum to the other. She has great confidence in the Sailor warriors and is deeply invested in them emotionally. Still, that doesn't curb Tera's frustration. Luckily, at this moment, Tera is too exhausted to reprimand her best friend's frivolous concerns. She knows Usagi is just trying to distract herself. "Queen Serenity wants to see us in the throne room. Luna and Artemis have some important information on the whereabouts of the kidnappers."

"I'll be along in just a second!" the princess promises. She strains and wrestles with her luggage. "After I get this... darn... thing…!" Tera lingers in the doorway a moment too long. She has a misty unfocused look in her eyes. Usagi slides off her bag and gazes at her with sudden concern. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

Tera shakes herself from her sleep-deprived state. "Huh?" she whispers hoarsely.

Usagi crosses to the door and embraces her friend. "I miss them too," she empathizes with a heavy sigh. "Don't worry. We'll get them back! It will be ok."

Tera swallows her tears. Missing them does not quite do justice to her feelings. She is worried for all the original Sailor warriors, but more so for her mother and father.

Because they are missing, Neo-Queen Serenity insisted that Tera stay in the palace last night instead of going home. The sleepover should have been exciting, but all Tera could envision was her outburst before the kidnapping and the sounds of her parents screaming in the blinding light. She hardly touched her supper and coupled with her grumbling stomach, her anxiety made rest impossible. There is another, darker part of herself that is glad she did not sleep though. She fears that if she closes her eyes for too long, she will see the black symbiote again... and in doing so, see her own hidden horror.

"Come on," she manages, retreating from the comfort of Usagi's arms. She is a soldier and must be stronger than this. "They'll be waiting." Usagi nods dutifully.

The six junior Sailors and their King and Queen convene in the throne room. When everyone is present, Luna jumps up to sit on the arm rest of Serenity's throne, to be better heard and seen by the group. Artemis sits patiently at the foot of the chair and, as usual, lets Luna do the talking.

"One of the villains you are looking for is called Doctor Octavius," the black cat declares. "Mercury recognized him when he attacked her at the hospital."

A hush comes over them. "Doctor… Octavius?" Sailor Vesta repeats.

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" Sailor Ceres muses, rubbing her chin.

"Octavius was a pioneer in nuclear research," Luna clarifies. Since his research has been discontinued as per Neo Queen Serenity's mandate, he has fallen off the public radar. However, Artemis and I were able to use the crystal supercomputer to locate his last known whereabouts. The particular area was once the city of New York…a bustling metropolis and a central hub in the American continent." The Sailor's eyes widen.

"Perfect! Let's go!" Impulsive Usagi exclaims with an earnest frown, her eyes burning with determination.

"Not so fast," Luna advises in her motherly tone, as though the princess might get ahead of herself and dash out the door in her haste. "New York is clear across the ocean and at the far end of the land mass that was once North America."

Usagi wilts. Sailor Pallas gasps. Sailor Juno goes slack jawed. "How the heck are we going to get there?!" Usagi demands, opening her arms.

"Sailing would take months," Sailor Ceres calculates carefully. "And none of us have any maritime experience."

"The transporter," Tera whispers. The weight of her words settle over the modest assembly. The girls glance at one another. The elder warriors used the teleporter frequently, but the junior Sailors had yet to take even a test drive. They gulp. It unnerves them to say the least, but it is a collective understanding that they will brave whatever danger necessary to rescue their elders.

"I can try to glean the coordinates from the crystal supercomputer," Sailor Ceres offers.

Luna dips her dainty chin in a nod. "You must go quickly. Time may be running out."

The Sailors know it is a good strategy, and general good-practice, to better understand their opponents before they go barreling into unfamiliar territory. They spend a few hours in the researching hub of the palace with Sailor Ceres' fingers clicking away at the halo-keys of their super computer. At this juncture, the only name they can enter is Doctor Octavius.

A holographic image of the doctor forms above the protection disk; hovering and slowly rotating to give the impression of a proportional three dimensional model. It glows ethereally, visibly breathing. Usagi creeps up to the spinning projection disk, peering over the edge and glaring at the image as though she might spring and pounce on it.

"That's him?" Tera blurts.

"That's the one in the white coat!" Sailor Pallas recognizes, pointing enthusiastically.

"You mean the one with the four mechanical arms?" Sailor Juno mutters, clearly conveying that the coat should be the last thing to give the cretin away. "He's clearly had a few additions since this photo was taken."

"Looks like Crystal may need a systems update," Usagi supplies.

The computer begins to ramble off its diagnostics in a gentle feminine voice not unlike listening to waves breaking on the shoreline. These days, it is known as 'Crystal'. Sailor Pallas thought it would be a good idea to name her since it gave her character. "Doctor Otto Octavius," Crystal echoes, "born Otto Gunther Octavius in Schenectady, New York to Torbert and Mary Octavius. At last record, he was reported to be five foot, nine iches and weighed two hundred and forty-five pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He has no spouse on record and only one cousin, Dr. Wolfgang Hargrove. "

"Who is he working with now?" Sailor Vesta inquires. "Who were those other creatures with him? Who sent him?"

The computer's voice pauses over a symphony of equally soothing dials and chimes.

"Unknown."

"A load of good this thing does," Sailor Juno mutters, barely stifling the urge to kick the computer.

"Crystal, what else can you tell us about him?" Sailor Ceres asks before Juno has a chance.

A series of holographic readouts appear around the life-like image of the doctor. "Before the Great Sleep, Doctor Octavius infused four mechanical arms with his spinal column and neural network at a highly prestigious scientific convention. The demonstration, while successful, made him an entity to fear and his working relationships tenuous. The synthetic arms, equipped with pincers and notable flexibility, are psychically controlled and greatly amplify his strength. The merge had several negative effects as well, such as tremendous pain and light sensitivity due to the neural pathways that were compromised to allow the arms' mental operation."

"Hey. Wasn't he wearing sunglasses?" Sailor Juno remarks, scratching her head thoughtfully.

Tera's brows knit together. She steps forward. "Where is he now, Crystal?"

"Sensors indicate the doctor's position is New York State, part of the former United States of America. Obtaining coordinates…"

"Luna was right," Tera whispers.

"Is she ever wrong?" Sailor Vesta supplies.

The teleportation room is pearly white and immaculately clean. On the floor are concentric circular patterns of rings expanding from a center point which can accommodate twelve at the most. One volunteer is to stand at the center and act as a conductor, a beacon of sorts, to tell the teleportation machine where to send them. It takes intense concentration. Naturally, as she is their leader, Usagi is the default volunteer.

Back at the palace proper, Tera and the others finally convinced Usagi to cut down on the number of supplies she wanted to bring. They each carry a small pack of essentials on their back, but nothing more.

The teleporter, and the room it was housed in, had been doctored and upgraded since its initial creation by Sailor Mercury in order to keep pace with the changing times and technological advancements. The girls assume their positions, each reflecting on their benevolent Queen's final words of advice.

"Be brave," Neo-Queen Serenity had said. "Be on your guard. But most importantly, be a team. None of you are weak, but, like gathered branches of a tree, you are strongest together. Use your talents in times of need to help, to heal, and to guide one another. Your bond is the greatest treasure and the truest measure of your power."

Neo-Queen Serenity turns her head and slowly walks up to her daughter. She places her hands on her slender shoulders and locks her blue eyes with her red ones. She smiles at Usagi with a grin that is full of warmth and pride.

"My darling Usagi. You have come so far from the bouncy little girl that I used to tuck into bed and pick flowers with. You have grown into a mature young woman and I couldn't be prouder of that. I know you will do great because you are like me, full of love and courage."

Usagi's lips quiver as she tried hard to avoid breaking down in tears and throwing her arms around her mother. Now is not the time to lose focus, they have a job to do and that is bringing their mentors home. She nods her head in thanks and slowly backs away to re-join the girls, who respectfully took a few steps backwards to give the mother-daughter some privacy. The girls join hands. Tera and Serenity meet eyes. They take a collective breath in.

"Take us to New York," Usagi commands. She also inputs the approximate coordinates of the Doctor's location disclosed to them by Crystal, the super computer. The circles they stand upon begin to glow. Sailor Pallas shivers in apprehension. Usagi is soon engulfed in a beam of light that radiates five other beams towards the junior Sailors. The beams ricochet off the colored pendants in the center of their chests and jet up to rejoin the original beam, which rockets skyward. The beam pulls the girls with it.

The girls fly through a series of colors and flashes, pitched headlong into a furious vacuum, sucking them through time and space. They shriek but no sound comes from their mouths as they travel at the speed of sound. When the white fades away and their feet find solid ground, Tera turns and heaves the contents of her stomach onto the floor. She, more than all the others, is not meant to fly. Her connection with the earth should be retained at all times and being tossed about in a tumultuous bottomless void is the worst possible feeling.

"Where are we?" Sailor Vesta whispers, gawking in an undignified stupor.

The girls turn in slow circles, drinking in their lush green surroundings. Nature has clearly taken her planet back here. They appear to be in the center of a forest, thick with branches and fragrant with moist loam. The canopy above them permits only slim ribbons of sunlight. They can hear birds and other strange ambient calls through the greenery.

"I thought Luna said New York was a _bustling metropolis_," Usagi reiterates, pronouncing the rarely used words with care.

Ceres raises her arm to check the mini-Crystal wrapped around her wrist. The two supercomputers are linked and, with some limitations, mini-Crystal can provide them with the same archives of information portably. "The coordinates are correct," she validates.

"I'm sure it was a bustling metropolis once, princess," says Tera, stooping down to kneel over the ground. She collects a handful of warm, damp soil and decaying leaves, letting it slip and sift through her fingers. She can sense the wild, untamed nature of this area, yet she can sense something surrounding it too, like a cage, that prevents it from reaching its full potential. Her first impulse is to try and free it, but that is not why she has come.

The girls trek through the dense forest. Thick roots jutting up from the ground make traveling difficult. Several roots are wide enough that two of them could not join hands and touch their fingers on the opposite side. Some of the roots bridge high enough to walk under. Others must be scaled. The soaring trees are wrapped in moss and robust vines. Sailor Juno pulls Sailor Pallas up onto a root before sliding off the opposite side. She holds her arms up to catch the smaller, blue haired girl. They all try to ignore the strange hoots, snarls, and keens in the distance.

Up ahead, or perhaps somewhere behind, comes a guttural growl and the crunch of paws on the leafy ground. Something is on the prowl and the Sailors are its prey.

Tera holds up her hand, signaling them to stop. The girls freeze. "Did you hear that?" she whispers.

Their eyes scan for a flash of fur or a pair of eyes lurking between the trees. Usagi shrieks when an enormous brown dog leaps up onto the root nearest her. It has long hackles and jagged yellowing teeth. Its ancestors may have been domestic, but that time has long passed.

"Just back away," Tera whispers while she cautiously retreats, "really slowly."

Sailor Juno gradually nudges Sailor Pallas behind her. With the root at their backs, they have nowhere to go. The Sailors each assume a defensive stance. The dog jumps onto the ground, sending up a shallow spray of soil beneath its massive paws. It crouches low and plods towards them, baring its teeth in a vicious growl.

"Vesta… I think this is your area of expertise," Sailor Juno prompts. Sailor Vesta sets her face into a determined scowl. She glances around rapidly for something to use in a situation such as this. Just as the dog is about to lunge at Sailors Juno and Pallas, she darts in front of them, wielding a long measure of ivy vine.

"Back!" she commands as she snaps the makeshift whip. The dog hesitates. Sailor Vesta swirls the whip above her head and cracks it again. It is no secret that during their time in the Dead Moon Circus, Sailor Vesta had been a beast tamer. And it would be telling an untruth to say she had met her animal match yet. The dog gradually starts to backtrack. She brings the vine down on its front paw and once more on the tip of its muzzle. The dog wheels around and dashes away with its tail tucked between its legs, trying to avoid the green whip snapping against his haunches.

"Whew," Usagi breathes, wiping her forehead for emphasis. Sailor Vesta winds the whip into a series of coils and loops it over her shoulder. It may come in handy later.

"Did you see the size of that thing?" Usagi squeals, gesturing wildly when they resume their journey.

Sailor Pallas clutches tightly to Sailor Ceres' hand. In a decidedly less amazed voice, "he was so scary."

"Keep your eyes peeled," Sailor Vesta reminds them diligently. "Dogs usually travel in packs. There may be more of them out here." No sooner does she say it when a howl rips through the air. It is closely followed by another… and another.

"Into the trees!" Sailor Vesta commands. She can tame one beast. But five? Ten?

The girls hasten to obey. They use the moss and vines for footholds and ladders. Hopefully, the dogs will not be sharp enough to have the same idea. Battling brainless villains is one thing, but it is another matter entirely to go head to head against verified renowned intellects... as they will soon do with Octavius.

"Hide yourselves!" Sailor Vesta whispers harshly. The girls curl into the lush branches, to conceal their presence. She smiles when she realizes that they serendipitously selected a fruit tree. That should mask their scent! The dogs bound into the clearing below them, immediately perplexed by their absence. There are seven of them. They curl their muscular necks and start sniffing the forest floor, pacing restlessly.

Sailor Pallas, who was frightened by one dog, is shaking like a rattlesnake tail at the sight of seven. She carefully inches along her branch to be closer to Sailor Juno. Before Juno can shoot her a scalding sneer to stay still, Sailor Pallas bumps her forehead against a low hanging branch. This would not have been problematic if the reason the branch was low hanging had not been for the fact that it was laden with apples.

But it was.

The apples, ripe and weighty, start to fall. Sailor Pallas quickly catches one and then another. Soon, she is balancing several apples on top of one another in precariously teetering towers in a valiant effort to prevent her accident from exposing them. Meanwhile, she maintains her own balance by wrapping her legs around the branch as tightly as she can. She must not look down!

The other girls hold their breath, watching Sailor Pallas intently. No one looks away... with the exception of Tera who is on her belly with her arms and legs wrapped around her own branch. The dog spotted ground below her swims. She shuts her eyes tightly. She hates heights, she hates heights, she hates heights! There is a reason humankind were born with feet instead of wings!

To their collective relief, Sailor Pallas manages to keep the apples balanced. This was likely due to the fact that, during her time in the Dead Moon Circus, she had been a ball balancer. But she has not practiced in years! It must be like riding a bike...

The dogs, discouraged by their meal's inexplicable disappearance, eventually start to lose interest. All is going swimmingly until Usagi's nose starts to tickle. Her senses are not accustomed to the pine pollen in the air. She sneezes before she can stop herself... with enough force to lose her hold and tumble clean out of the tree.

"Princess!" Sailor Ceres shouts. The dogs round on Usagi who scrambles back like a skittering crab. She is unharmed... for now.

"Nice puppies?" She chances.

Sailor Juno flips down from the tree, landing on her feet in front of Usagi. The dogs pause and ready themselves for an attack. "Well come on, I don't have all day!" She exclaims.

One of them, presumably the alpha, lunges with its fangs ready. Sailor Juno fists her hands, spins around, and delivers a bone shattering roundhouse kick to his skull with one powerful leg. She sends it hurtling through the air and sprawling onto the forest floor. "Who's next?!" she challenges, raising her fists.

Above, Sailors Pallas, Vesta, and Ceres start pelting the other dogs in a barrage of apples. Some of the smaller ones yelp, shrinking back. Tera gratefully takes the opportunity to dismount too. She lands on the ground and rushes to Sailor Juno's side. Her mother was a martial arts master and certainly taught her a thing or two. She can fight these overgrown pups!

A dog coils up and springs towards Sailor Juno again, intending to seek revenge for their leader's current condition. Juno jumps up and brings her heel down into the dog's back, instantly breaking the spine. The dog tumbles head over heels and slacks in a limp heap. A third dog lunges at Tera. She cranks back her fist. Juno suddenly bowls into the dog's side, knocking it away from Tera and against a root with enough force to smash the wind from its lungs.

"What were you going to do?" Sailor Juno demands. "Punch it in the face!"

"Well, yeah," Tera declares defensively.

"And the claws?" Juno smarts, spreading her arms and widening her eyes.

"Oh. Right!" Tera rounds on a fourth dog on the war path. As she raises her arms, she shouts out "Rolling Earthquake!" She summons her standard Sailor attack. The ground underneath her shudders, ripples, and splits. The dog plunges into the chasm with an echoing yowl as its voice bounces off the walls of the gorge. Tera's attack also separated them from the lesser dogs who are still being pummeled with apples by Sailors Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta. They finally turn tail and bound back into the undergrowth. This meal was apparently not worth the risk.

The girls give a triumphant cheer. They did it! Together!

Finally, after another long hour of traveling, the girls pierce the tree line onto what remains of a concrete sidewalk and street. They can see towering skeletons of buildings in the distance, rising into the sky like stone giants.

Tera notices a stone plaque choked by weeds barely sticking up from the ground beside her. She kneels to sweep aside the dirt and vegetation to read it. She squints her eyes. Her English has never been very good. "Welcome to…Central Park."

The city, what remains of the original New York City, could be a jungle in itself, made up of the remains of concrete and asphalt with plants and dirt.

"This place is—" Ceres marvels breathlessly.

"Enormous," Sailor Vesta finishes with an audible groan.

"How will we ever find Octopus?" Usagi frowns, staking her fist against her hip and raising the other to act like a visor for her eyes.

"Octavius," Tera corrects. She suppressed the irony that the princess should call him Octopus though. The man does, technically, have eight limbs.

"That's what I said," Usagi counters with fluttering fingers, purposely standing straighter.

Sailor Juno snickers and shakes her head until she notices the empty spot beside her. Suddenly, she blanches. "Where's Sailor Pallas?"

"We could start there!" Little Pallas says from the corner, pointing down another decaying street at something they cannot see.

Usagi and Tera exchange glances. They all race towards her and stare down the empty street. In the far distance, foggy and haloed against the sunset, is the one of the tallest buildings they have ever seen. Back home, they were structures that were almost the same size but it was unexpected to see one here. Down the side are the letter P.

**End of Chapter 6**


	8. Cold Harsh Reality

**Chapter 7**

"**Delay is the deadliest form of denial."**

**- British historian **_**C. Northcote Parkinson**_

The streets are strangely desolate , barren and lonely like a desert lost to the sands of time. Occasionally, the girls catch a glimpse of someone, or something, peeking out at them through broken blinds or a door ajar. The dry breeze toys with scraps of metal and torn curtains, deceiving and tempting them towards situations that could be most treacherous. The people who live here are barely clinging to life.

And the girls, sequestered by their optimism and privileged upbringing, feel utterly alone.

"This place gives me the creeps," Sailor Juno mutters.

Sailor Pallas grips tightly to Sailor Ceres's hand, wishing she had brought along a stuffed animal to cuddle against her chest. Usagi and Tera take point while Sailor Vesta brings up the rear, keeping her right fist around the vine coiled over her shoulder. Shells of ancient vehicles line the curbs, sitting in unsalvageable shambles. The wind whistles through their remains.

Curiosity gets the best of Usagi as she skirts aside to peer into one of the windows of a burned Chevy. The window pane is dusty and cracked, but by wiping her hand across the film on the glass she creates a smudge wide enough to display what waits inside. Usagi recoils, nearly tripping over her own feet as she stumbles backwards with a shriek. Two charred skeletons sit in the backseat of the car, huddled together with their stick-like, boney arms wrapped around each other.

Tera places her hand on Usagi's trembling shoulder. They press onward. Sailor Ceres is careful to steer Sailor Pallas away from the cars and their unpredictable unseemly contents. The farther in they venture into the city, the remains of Old New York look like a warzone. And it would be telling an untruth to say that some of the damage does not look recent.

"What happened here?" Usagi breathes, lacing her fingers together and holding her grasp against her lips. The terror in her eyes suggests that she has never seen carnage of this magnitude.

None of them have.

"Your parents King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity don't have full control here, princess," Sailor Juno explains.

"That's right. This place is governed by-" Sailor Vesta starts to add before a heavily graffitied wall stops her in her tracks. "Other forces." She finishes her thought, though the interest of her audience is strictly occupied by the graffiti.

The girl's frightened eyes track over the wall and the multitude of layered symbols written on it. Some are merely painted over. Others are scratched through or x-ed out. Tera's mind reels through her history lessons. The word "gang" comes to mind, but she is not certain of its significance.

"Come on. We have to keep moving," Sailor Vesta reminds them.

Tera lingers in place. Sailor Vesta gingerly takes her by the wrist and leads her back to join the group. The sun has set by the time they cross the parking lot leading to the OSCORP building. The street lamps flicker unreliably, casting strange shadows across the asphalt. Sailor Pallas whimpers.

"Sh!" Sailor Juno snaps.

Sailor Ceres gasps softly and she and Tera pull the rest of the girls behind a planter just as a familiar reptilian creature slinks around the corner of the towering structure. It looks like he is patrolling the building, like a guard dog might. They seem to have stumbled on to the right place after all. Luck is on their side. But this is no time to celebrate.

The girls hold their breath. Sailor Ceres clamps her hand over Sailor Pallas' mouth when she notices her companion is at risk of opening her mouth, possibly to sigh. The enormous lizard lifts his slitted snout and sniffs the air. It would not do to confront him now and give away their presence. He would sound the alarm and a multitude of other opponents could be upon them in seconds. They have to find out where Doctor Octavius is keeping the older Sailors first. And that means infiltrating the building and climbing what are surely thousands of stairs, assuming there is no other way to reach them.

This reminds Usagi of a storybook her mother used to read to her: fairy tales about princes who had to rescue princesses or fair maidens—damsels of importance—from the clutches of some atrocious villain. And the princesses were always in the highest room of the tallest tower.

_Figures…_

The building bearing the OSCORP insignia is one of the tallest structures for miles. Their heads snap upwards at the shrill cackling call of a winged beast. They recognize the vulturous felon, from the fight back in the shopping district, circling the upper sections of the building. His glistening black wings were able to deflect Sailor Venus' light attacks. Tera has to wonder if they are made of metal. But if that is the case, how is he capable of flight?

She shudders.

The mere idea of flying gives her the chills. She draws strength from the solid ground under her feet to keep her knees from liquefying beneath her.

"You guys go ahead inside," Sailor Vesta suggests, keeping her voice to a harsh whisper as not to be overheard.

"But Vesta!" Sailor Pallas tries, her eyes shimmering with worry.

Sailor Vesta holds up her hand. "I'll keep an eye on Scaly and Feather-brains. You girls find the others and radio me when you do."

She holds up her hand to indicate that she means the small watch on her wrist. Sailor Mercury had given each of them a communication device when they turned eighteen, many centuries ago, just in case they needed to or someone else needed to contact them.

The other Sailors nod their heads silently in acknowledgement. Sailor Vesta flashes a wink and a thumbs-up. Tera gives Usagi an uncertain glance. She has a bad feeling welling in her gut. Sailor Juno does not look too thrilled with this plan either.

"Maybe we shouldn't split up," Tera suggests.

"No," Usagi corrects, validating Sailor Vesta's first impulse. "Vesta is right. We'll need a lookout." She flashes Sailor Vesta a confident grin. "We'll check our com-links once we're inside." She glances around, meeting everyone's eyes in turn to emphasize the importance of her next sentence. "If anything goes wrong, anything at all, we meet back at the forest, by the plaque reading _Central Park_. Okay?"

The young Sailors nod their regards and goodbyes to Sailor Vesta. Usagi leads them into the building. The remaining three of the amazon quartet use their tumbling skills to roll across the walkway towards the main door, unseen. They enter OSCORP through a revolving door and are careful to stop its spin when they are all through. Just in time too. The reptilian villain is creeping around the corner. Luckily, the windows are tinted. He does not see them.

Usagi leads the troop onward, towards the stairs. They creep up quietly, staying on their toes for stealth. Sailor Juno brings up the rear, constantly checking over her shoulder to make sure they are not being followed. When they reach the first floor, the girls are confronted by a laser lattice matrix. The ruby red beams reflect off of seven seamless mirrors, made from the finest glass. The angles are so precise that Sailor Ceres could swear their victims would emerge in a pile of perfectly rectangular pieces, capable of being used for levelers.

There is a keypad to the right. Sailor Ceres approaches it, activates Mini Crystal, and starts scanning for the appropriate code using a series of combinations generated by the computer. The girls grit their teeth together in anticipation.

"Vesta," Sailor Moon says into her communication link. "Can you hear me?"

Static answers from the other end of the line for a fraction of a second before Sailor Vesta's quiet reply comes through. "Loud and clear, princess. Looking good out here."

Meanwhile, Sailor Juno is constantly scanning their surroundings. "Something isn't right," she mutters. She spots a shadow from the corner of her eye - a blur of darkness that might as well have been a breeze, or the bat of an eyelash. Just then, Mini Crystal finds the correct combination for Sailor Ceres. The lasers disengage, leaving the pathway clear for them to cross unharmed. Usagi, Tera, and Sailor Ceres proceed down the corridor.

Behind them, Sailor Pallas tugs on Sailor Juno's arm.

"Come on," she whispers, nervously looking about. But Sailor Juno's instincts rarely fail her. They are not alone. She knows that much. She suddenly shoves Sailor Pallas backwards. The second oldest member of the Sailor Quartet lets a loud gasp of surprise escape her lips as she is forced backwards. She slides across the glossy floor and zips down the corridor at the heels of the others. She barely clears the hall of mirrors before the lasers reactivate.

"Juno!" Sailor Ceres shrieks out her warning just before a chalky figure barrels into Sailor Juno, knocking her aside. She flips over her shoulder, skidding to a stop on her feet, poised in a defensive crouch. She is ready to spring at her attacker.

His stark shock of long black hair whips around him like tendrils of smoke, or a dozen black snakes. He bares his teeth in a fanged smile. Sailor Juno's blood runs cold, chilled to the bone by the harrowing sight. There is something unnatural about his movements and the cat-like claws adorning his hands. His skin is a one shade away from being white His eyes leer at her, glowing ruby red in the dim light, like the lasers in the hall of mirrors. But this is no time to get cold feet .

"Go!" Sailor Juno commands her reluctant team mates from the other side of the laser grid. "I'll handle this." She fists her hands defiantly.

"But-!" Sailor Pallas chokes.

Usagi takes Sailor Pallas by the hand. "Come on! They'll know we're here now."

"We have to move quickly," Tera agrees.

The Sailors turn and dash down the corridor. Sailor Ceres chances one last glance over her shoulder before Sailor Juno and her ghostly opponent are out of sight. They round the corner together, but just as quickly, Sailor Pallas is yanked back by a plated green tail that coils around her midsection, tearing her from Usagi's nurturing grasp.

The scorpion-like accessory of their new adversary is further accentuated by his pincer claw, located in place of his right hand. He emits something like a hiss, bearing an alarming set of pointed teeth, dripping with what is either saliva or venom. He walks on two legs, but that is the extent of his human characteristics.

Raptors were bipedal too, but that did not make them any less horrifying.

The three other Sailors double back.

"Pallas!" Tera calls out.

"You should always ask before snatching something for yourself!' Sailor Pallas chastises, squirming in the scorpion-man's grasp. She eventually wriggles her way out of his grip with the help of her own illusion. Sailor Ceres is the master in that area, but she taught her a thing or two during their time together. Sailor Pallas raises her gloved hands, conjures a score of small blue spheres, and propels them towards her opponent's face. The scorpion recoils, dropping her and swinging his arms wildly. Sailor Pallas lands on her feet and narrowly avoids the backlash from his tail by leaping up into the air.

The armored tail smashes into the wall, creating the perfect smokescreen of drywall dust and debris for Sailor Pallas to conjure more illusions and have a little fun with her enemy.

"Find the others!" Sailor Pallas exclaims to her teammates, who stand and stare at her, slack jawed. "I'll distract this guy." She grins. "Come on, you overgrown lobster. Let's dance!"

Sailor Pallas, while timid in everyday life, has her moments of bravery. In order to cope with the stress and fear of battling monsters, she uses humor and pithy lines to turn the fight into a game when the moment comes. She adopts a personality rarely shown to her friends, in so doing becoming someone they are much less familiar with. She's right.

Usagi, Tera, and Sailor Ceres tear themselves away from the spectacle and make a beeline for the elevator at the end of the corridor.

"Vesta, do you copy?" Sailor Ceres calls into her communicator.

"Roger that, Pinky. What seems to be the problem?" Sailor Vesta banters back.

"We've been spotted," Sailor Ceres replies. "Juno and Pallas are battling two of the monsters we saw by the ice cream parlor. Think you can handle those two outside?" They all hope she can. Still, it seems unfair to expect one sailor to fend off two assailants.

Hidden beside the planter, Sailor Vesta glances up at the circling bird who emits a shrill cackling sound as though he can sense something is amiss. The lizard man flicks his tongue through the air, tasting and testing the many scents.

If she can hear the commotion coming from inside, they probably can too.

"Vesta?" Ceres prompts. Sweat beads on Sailor Vesta's brow. She steels herself. The lizard turns his head in Sailor Vesta's direction. He has detected her presence. It is now or never.

"They don't call me the beast tamer for nothing," Sailor Vesta says into her com-link. "No worries, Ceres. Just take care of the princess and rescue our friends! I can take care of myself."

"Right!" the three of them exclaim simultaneously. Sailor Vesta's confidence reassures them.

The girls hurry onto the elevator. It is carpeted in garnet, though the color has faded and the fabric is worn down to the nubs. The mirrors lining the elevator walls were probably spotless once, but now they are faded and feathered with black around the edges and warped at the bottom, presenting more of a fun-house mirror image than a normal reflection to anyone who looks into them. Sailor Ceres remembers something similar from her carnival days.

Usagi all but screams at her reflection, poking and pinching her sides as she turns around and around to take inventory of her unfortunate, blobby figure. "When did I get fat?!"

Tera's forehead sinks into her palm and she groans.

Sailor Pallas thrusts another wave of blue balls at the scorpion; quickly dodging the tail when it juts out to spear her with the foreboding needle-like tip. Her chest heaves. He is gigantic. She fears she will not be able to beat him. Taking their size difference into account, she is sure to tire out considerably sooner than he will. Sailor Pallas sets her teeth, but her faith in her own abilities is steadily dwindling.

"Highest room of the tallest tower?" Usagi suggests, eyeing the innumerable buttons of the elevator.

"What?" Sailor Ceres and Sailor Earth ask in unison.

"Oh, never mind," Usagi dismisses, flitting her hands through the air. "Aha!" She punches the button indicating the top floor, and highest number. Usagi faces her teammates. "Going up!" She winks and gives them a thumbs up. They manage to smile back.

Meanwhile, back in the lobby, Juno is wondering just how far she can press her luck with her ghoulish opponent. He is frighteningly fast, even for her. Fast like lightning, and as untouchable as a cloud.

She lashes out with a kick. He dodges her foot before she can land it. He slashes at her face with a swipe of his claws. She ducks just in time. Sailor Juno drops to the floor, landing in a crouch that allows her to shift her weight and sweep her leg in a wide arc, hoping it will knock the pale creature off his feet. He springs up and away too quickly.

It is as though he can see inside her head, predicting her moves like a fortune teller predicts the future. But she cannot give up!

Sailor Juno rights herself and dashes at him. She throws a punch. He moves aside. He plants one foot behind himself and makes to drive his heel into her chin. The attack comes with bruising force. She will not survive it, should it sail true.

Sailor Juno flips backwards, narrowly avoiding the blow. He follows through with a spin, reaching out to slash at her with his curled nails. She feels his claws catch the flesh of her stomach and rip into her. Sailor Juno staggers backwards and sets her teeth in a painful cringe, pressing her hand against the wound. She can feel liquid heat bubbling up under her palm.

The cuts are not deep enough to endanger her life, but they are enough to whet her opponent's appetite. The pale man's eyes flash vibrantly. He starts to salivate.

"Let's hurry this along, guys," she mutters into her com-link. "This thing is looking at me like an all-you-can-eat buffet."

"Hang in there, Juno!" Usagi encourages. "We're almost-" Just then, the elevator comes to a halt with a shrill metallic shriek. The girls lose their balance, toppling on top of each other.

"Dog pile on Tera?" The brunette growls through gritted teeth with both Ceres and Usagi's weight bearing down on her.

"I'm sorry!" Sailor Ceres chirps, rolling off of her and jumping to her feet.

The elevator doors creak. Suddenly, a metal pair of pincers jut out from their seam. It whirls around and gnashes together nefariously before it is wrenched back. The pincers open, forcing the elevator doors to part. Another claw joins the first pair, and together, they pry the doors apart, squishing and bending them into irreparable scraps. The gapping opening is wide enough to reveal the face of the master of the wicked pincers.

"Peeka-boo! I see you!" Proclaims a man in a white coat.

The Sailors gasp. "Doctor Octavius!" Sailor Ceres identifies.

Usagi leaps to her feet and strikes a defensive pose. "We're not here to play hide and seek with you, Octopus! What have you done with our friends?" She demands.

"Oh. You mean the new lab rats?" He spits back through a maniacal grin. "Don't worry. They're quite comfortable... in their cages!" His four mechanical arms tipped with nefarious pincers rear back like a four headed snake, preparing to strike.

Sailor Ceres takes this opportunity to create an illusion. She has to save her friends!

She conjures two mirrors in front of her palms and brings them together, creating a larger circular mirror, emitting pink and white light. Doctor Octavius and his four mechanical limbs recoil, shrinking away from the brilliant, blistering, blinding brightness. He thrusts his real arms out to shield his eyes. He groans, as though he is in pain. Sailor Ceres steps out of the elevator, brandishing the mirror before her to ward him off, radiating the illustrious beams towards the felon. It is the perfect distraction.

"Go!" she exclaims to Tera and Usagi. "Free the others! I got this!"

Usagi darts forward, as though she means to stop her. Tera seizes her by the wrist and yanks her backwards in the nick of time.

"No! She's right," Tera insists, her eyes brimming with conviction.

Usagi glances over her shoulder reluctantly. Her eyes shimmer uncertainly. The determination in Tera's stern leer calms the storm of worry roiling in her soul. She nods. Tera interprets this as permission to proceed and slams her fist into the elevator keypad. The panel erupts in a spray of sparks, sizzling as it short-circuits and bypasses the failsafe. The elevator rockets upwards. Usagi and Tera struggle to keep themselves upright as the compartment rattles and rumbles precariously. They hold on to each other.

The girls reach the floor just below the peak of the building before the elevator finally gives up.

Usagi and Tera carefully toe their way out of the elevator, their eyes scanning their surroundings for more opponents. The elevator groans and moans behind them, as though it will collapse with the touch of a feather, or a breath of wind. Their path appears clear for the moment. They are just beginning to relax when the fluorescent lights above them, lining the hallway, start to flicker unreliably.

An enormous shape rounds the corner and looms at the end of the hall, like a massive thunderhead. He lumbers forward, placing one gigantic foot in front of the other. His steps sound thunderous in the otherwise empty corridor. The girls shiver in anticipation. He has grey, rough skin, marred by a horn protruding from the center of his head. He digs one foot into the faded carpet, pawing the ground.

"Move!" Tera exclaims, shoving Usagi aside only instants before the beast charges.

Usagi screams. They scamper out of the way just as the beast barrels into what remains of the elevator doors. The force of the impact sends them sprawling. Tera and Usagi groan, rousing just as the beast finds its feet and garners his whereabouts. He rounds on them and charges again. Usagi and Tera dive aside, unable to formulate an effective attack before he reaches them.

Just then, a black blur from the other side of the hall catches Tera's attention. Her blood runs cold and her skin crawls, prickling and leaving her stomach in knots. She recalls the chilling vision she witnessed at the ice cream parlor… and the black symbiote who nearly destroyed her father, the same one that haunts her dreams. Her nightmares. That is Tera's greatest fear. Out of all her opponents, and possibly their leader as well, the villain she fears to face the most is the one that resembles herself. She remembers her surprise-party-gone-wrong too well.

The sight of her own alien face haunts her.

The sight and sound of her nightmare incarnate stills her breath. It hovers like a demon at the end of the hall. Tera freezes under the thumb of terror. Its dominion dwarfs her, silhouetting her in her isolation, in spite of Usagi's presence. Will she be able to control herself in that form? Will she be human at all? The two monsters approach from opposite ends of the hall, stalking and prowling like predators. Tera can hear Usagi's voice. She can feel the princess tugging on her arm. But Tera is unable to respond.

Outside, Sailor Vesta is battling the double team of the lizard and vulture. She uses a vine from the forest as a whip, fending them off with loud lashes and snaps.

Sailor Juno dodges another swipe from the vampire's jagged claws. She tumbles into a summersault, leaping up to drive a hard roundhouse kick into his jaw. He reels backwards, his arms pin-wheeling. Juno capitalizes on the opportunity. She spins again and drives her heel into his gut. He sails backwards into the wall, forming a dent the size of his body. Sailor Juno, out of breath, clutches her bleeding stomach, willing the gashes to heal faster.

She expects him to cough and sputter, perhaps struggle to find his feet... but the pale adversary starts laughing, as though this whole thing is a game to him. As though he is enjoying himself.

As though… it all means _nothing_.

_This is bad,_ she thinks to herself.

Sailor Pallas cartwheels through the air, toppling head over heels as the scorpion fiend comes at her again. He is relentless, swiping and jabbing and trying to sweep his tail beneath her feet. She cannot seem to land an attack. His great claw snaps at her ankle. His tail lashes at her face. Her illusions are losing their effectiveness, as though he is getting smarter, analyzing her attacks as they come at him. He is able to decipher between what is real and what is contrived. Her punches produce little to no effect.

The battle is not favoring her.

Sailor Pallas is tiring. She hopes the princess and her teammates will find the others soon. She hopes they are having better luck than she is. Surely, with the help of the older Sailors, they can defeat these monsters. She just has to hold out until they get here… Just a little longer. Just a little longer!

The man mountain-sized opponent bearing a god-awful resemblance to a rhinoceros has zeroed in on Usagi. He seems to ignore Tera entirely. Usagi raises her hands and thrusts them forward to call an attack, but he is too fast. He backs her into the elevator, dashing headlong into the treacherous machine with no concern for his own safety, and even less for Usagi's.

Tera awakens from her stupor just in time to hear a blood curdling scream rip from Usagi's throat. The metallic links suspending the elevator snap. Down it plunges, with Usagi and the rhinoceros creature stuffed inside.

Tera whirls around, extending her hand as though she means to stop the plummeting elevator. Her voice seems to be lodged in her throat, hoarse and ragged. She can see the entrance, yawning open like the mouth of an abyss. She scrambles towards the elevator shaft. Tera finds the edge just in time to see the shrinking cube collide with the unforgiving slab of the first floor. Bile rises in the back of her throat. She croaks out something that sounds like Usagi's name.

Tera glances over her shoulder, only to find the corridor empty. Did she imagine the symbiote?

Her breath comes in ragged gasps. Her stomach knots up. Her knees buckle. Dust and fire erupt from the elevator shaft. "No!" she cries. Tera scrambles down the stairs, running until her lungs burn. What she might see when she reaches the bottom floor absolutely terrifies her.

_It's your fault,_ she hears in the far recesses of her mind. Tera gulps, whimpering, remembering the exchange upstairs in violent, jarring flashes. She froze. After three centuries of training, she... _froze._ At the landing of the first floor, the elevator shaft is a tangled mess of melting, molten metal. There is no sign of Usagi. But she's overreacting. Usagi can't be dead.

Usagi can't be… _dead_!

The sun is rising. The rest of the Sailors use this chance to escape. The diversion of the resulting explosion from the elevator's collision with the ground provides the perfect opportunity. It is a losing battle for all of them. They race out of the building bearing the OSCORP insignia ahead of the villains.

By the time Sailor Earth reaches the _Central Park_ plaque, just like Usagi said, the other four Sailors are already waiting for her. She walks as one damned, dragging her feet, feeling numb, almost as though she is looking down on her body from some distant plane. She swallows hard, choking on another wave of nausea.

The young Sailors see her emerge from the morning haze. Sailor Pallas and Sailor Vesta jump to their feet. Sailor Ceres is patching up the four gashes in Sailor Juno's side with a measure of spare cloth. The hope in their eyes wanes with the sobering sight of Tera's pale face. None of them dare to breathe. Something is wrong.

Something is so, so terribly _wrong._

Sailor Pallas starts searching first, her young eyes darting about frantically for any sign of their princess. "Where… Where is Usagi-chan?"She asks Tera.

Tera cannot muster a reply. She merely shakes her head. Her vision starts to swim as tears brim in her vacant eyes. The other Sailors gawk in horror, the realization registering on their faces. Sailor Juno turns away to hide her tears. Sailor Pallas starts weeping. Sailor Ceres immediately scoops her up in her arms, clutching her tightly to allay her own anguish.

Sailor Vesta stammers, searching for something to say, grasping at straws for a solution that eludes her.

They all managed to escape their foes alive. But it means nothing now... not without Usagi. Not without their princess.

The girls flounder in their grief. How will they go home? How can they show their faces? How will they report not only their failure to rescue the older Sailors to their King and Queen, but the loss of their beloved daughter as well? Their defeat is so sound, so undeniable, and so absolute. It even comes complete with the loss of their leader.

And what are they to do without the glue keeping them together? Without the adhesive, preventing them from falling into the maddening grief hovering at the edge of their hearts? They are splintered – fractured – separated on a level that none of them can remedy.

Usagi's death means the demise of their fellowship, though none of them had fully realized this fact until now.

The Sailors wade into the woods that are now Central Park, sick with grief and suffocated by a shadow they cannot escape. None of them have spoken since the mutual understanding that their princess will not be coming back. The shards of their friendship hang suspended in the air, abandoned and neglected in their sadness.

They are broken.

There is nothing to buoy their sinking morale or failing confidence. And Tera can blame no one but herself. She stays as far away from the others as she possibly can, folding into herself like a flower blooming in reverse. She cannot accept the bitter reality. She swore to herself - to all of them - that the next time she faced the fiends: they would fear _her_... not the other way around.

She has failed them. She has failed in her one and only dream, her livelihood, her passion as a protector and defender of justice. She cannot suffer the truth, ripe with her own fear.

She fails to realize that they all feel that way, holed up in the tunnel vision of her own guilt. Sitting against a thick root of a tree, she hugs her knees as tight as she can. She shivers uncontrollably.

_What has she done? _

**End of Chapter 7**


	9. Sins Remembered

**Chapter 8**

**No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." -**_**Mary Wollstonecraft**_

In the highest room of the tall tower bearing the OSCORP insignia, behind a large hidden panel in one of the interior walls, there is a walkway lined with slender transparent tubes that extend from the floor to the ceiling, just wide enough to fit a standing body, or a huddled heap. They seem to glow in comparison to the ordinary furnishings in the otherwise stark room. A control panel illuminated with key boards, touch pads, and beeping screens spans the far wall, carefully monitoring what the tubes contain. The tubes are connected by tangles of cords and twisting wires meant to filter oxygen and other chemicals to their contents. Seven of the tubes, four on one side of the isle and three on the other, are occupied. The eighth sits empty. Not surprisingly, they are filled with the bodies of the older sailorSailor warriorsSailor Warriors. They all float with their feet a foot from the ground, their hair swimming weightlessly through the air as if they are floating in outer space.

Far below, the impact of the plunging elevator shakes the building, rattling its iron skeleton like railroad tracks under a locomotive.

SailorSailor Uranus is the first to awaken. She groans, setting her teeth and tensing the bundles of muscles in her jaw. She opens her eyes. As she takes inventory of the world around her, the first thing she notices is SailorSailor Neptune, hovering in the tube across from her. Her tube, as though it is a living entity, seems to sense her conscious state and disbands the anti-gravity stasis system. SailorSailor Uranus' boots land on the glowing ring below where she teeters precariously for a moment. Her strong body feels unnaturally heavy. Her long, lithe legs are weak under the weight, but she manages to maintain her balance.

"Neptune!" she calls across the walkway. The beautiful girl, more ghoulishly graceful than normal in her sleeping state, does not respond. Her attention darts from tube to tube, recognizing each of her comrades and somehow comforted that they are all accounted for. Well... all but one. SailorSailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are present. Hybrid is missing. She vividly remembers him fighting alongside them when they were all corralled into the town square.

_Where is he now? _

Immediately alert and on the defensive, SailorSailor Uranus searches for a way to free herself. SailorSailor Neptune is her first priority. Then, and only then, will she worry about rescuing the other sailorSailors. SailorSailor Uranus' first impulse, like many a creature of instinct, is to lash out in violence. She beats her fists against the walls of her tube but the impact has no effect, other than producing an ethereal humming sound. She gathers her power and prepares for an attack.

"World Shaking!" she exclaims, thrusting her palm towards the glass while the other reaches up where her sword should be. The sword's silhouette appears, but flickers out. The strange humming escalates to a hellish crescendo, more akin to the screams of a thousand trapped souls… and there is no way for her to escape the noise. The yellow volts swirling down to her arms and ankles ricochet off the glass and bounce back at her. SailorSailor Neptune rouses with the commotion just in time to see SailorSailor Uranus bear the brunt of her own attack. She screams as the pain rockets through her.

"Uranus!" SailorSailor Neptune calls, horrified. Unlike her handsome lover, SailorSailor Neptune is a creature of intellect. She could have told SailorSailor Uranus an attack would be futile, but it is too late. Her eyes swim with worry as she presses her hands against the glass, trying to be closer to her. She presses her nose against the transparent wall thinking it would help her cause.

SailorSailor Uranus' knees buckle and she sinks to the ground, but SailorSailor Neptune's concern does not go unnoticed. SailorSailor Uranus manages a strangled smile and would have given a thumbs-up if she could. SailorSailor Neptune breathes a sigh of relief. Her own legs barely support her. The others are waking up too. One by one, their feet hit the ground and the disks under their shoes starts to glow. The resounding clinks of their heels echoes through the shadows. The pin-height of SailorSailor Mars's stilettos is too much to endure and she immediately sinks to the floor. Her head aches horribly and she cradles it in her hands.

Visually speaking, the lot of them are in bad shape but SailorSailor Mercury suspects that their tubes may possess some sort of low frequency wave technology, like vita-rays. They are emitting vibrations meant to stimulate and expedite the healing process. Their scrapes, bumps, and bruises look better than before.

"Hybrid!" SailorSailor Jupiter calls, looking about frantically. Her brown ponytail whipping wildly with each turn of her head. She does not see him. "Hybrid!?"

"Do not use your attacks!" SailorSailor Neptune warns when she sees SailorSailor Jupiter readying herself to do just that.

"Where are we?" the young SailorSailor Saturn groans, struggling to remain standing. Like SailorSailor Uranus, she tried to summon her glaive, but it too was denied by some unknown force. She places the flat palm of her right hand against the wall of the tube as support while she awaits an answer.

"Excellent question," says an oily voice, garnering the attention of the imprisoned SailorSailors. They turn in the direction it comes from. The figure of a man cleaves from the shadows. He is tall, though slight of build. He strolls down the walkway at a leisurely pace, dressed in an elegant grey suit. Given the fit of the material, it was probably tailor made for him. His sandy brown hair is swept back in a sophisticated wave above a pair of lurid green eyes, fanned by crow's feet. He has a defined face and a strong jaw. There is something disturbing about the way his eyes gleam, something maniacal and a shade less than sane.

He is an older gentleman - perhaps mid-forties to early fifties, his age frozen in place like everyone else on Earth after the Silver Moon Crystal granted them the gift of near immortality, but distinguished none the less. SailorSailor Mars might have thought him handsome had it not been painfully evident he is to blame for their imprisonment.

He spreads his arms, as though he is welcoming them to his humble abode. "You are in OSCORP tower, overlooking the once and soon to be again inspiring New York City. _My_ city. Or what remains of it, anyway."

Something about him strikes SailorSailor Mercury as familiar, but she cannot put her finger on it. Hasn't she seen him before?

"Who are you?" SailorSailor Venus demands, squaring her shoulders and fisting her hands.

"What have you done with my husband?!" Jupiter adds, assuming a similar stance.

The man adopts a false pout. "You don't recognize me? Minako... I'm crushed. Like you, I'm practically a celebrity. We have so much history together. All the TV spots and product endorsements that I did before the Great Sleep. All of the movie premieres. Photo shoots. Magazine covers that I know an idol-chasing wannabe like yourself must have seen or attended."

"How do you know my real name?" SailorSailor Venus whispers, startled into breaking her battle stance.

"What do you want from us?!" SailorSailor Mars demands.

The man raises his hands with his palms turned out solicitously, the crestfallen facade of a moment ago gone. "One at a time, if you please. All will be explained soon enough."

They have not used their human names in so long, over three centuries to be precise. It is a distant memory of a life that feels more like a dream than reality. This man comes from before the Great Sleep, in the time of short lives and seedy villains.

"Who are you?" SailorSailor Mercury whispers as she finds her feet, but her wary expression suggests that she already knows.

The man chuckles. "Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, my fall from fame and the collapse of my empire was largely facilitated by _you_." He bears his teeth in a wicked grin. "I am Norman Osborn, of course." SailorSailor Mercury balks, the prestigious name slamming into her hard and accompanied by several flashbacks of television interviews and public appearances that she remembers from her childhood and teenage years before the nuclear holocaust that caused the Great Sleep. Now, in this new era, he was practically a fixture on the world news and popular radio shows with his latest developments and company expansions. He was a multi-billionaire back before the global devastation. He was also one of the most powerful men in the world back then. His company controlled departments ranging from medicine to machinery. The head of Oscorp industries, there were many rumors that he was also a large mastermind of the criminal underworld. But nothing could be proven. Norman was the worst kind of felon - the smart kind - the kind who knew how to clean up his own mess, scour his own breadcrumb trail, and leaves nothing behind for authorities to find. He had eyes everywhere. He was never on the SailorSailor's radar because he knew how to manipulate every system. Plus, he lived clear across the world.

This just went from bad to worse.

SailorSailor Uranus groans, using the glass to pull herself up from the floor. The air around her crackles and sparks with residual electrical charges.

"Tough break, my dear," he says as he puts his right hand over his heart. It was a gesture that was intended to mockingly show that he was mentally wounded at her attempt to escape.

"I'm a little offended that you wouldn't think me capable of designing a suitable facility to control your little... _gifts_. These tubes were specially made, crafted to contain and reflect cosmic energy. They mirror you, if you will. They could probably house a nuclear explosion, though I haven't tested them to that extent." He taps his chin thoughtfully, but let's the idea roll off his shoulders with a careless shrug. He'll pocket and table it for later. He rubs his hands together. "And now I have you, my own little collection of space soldiers." He frowns, eyeing the only empty tube. "Minus one. We seem to be missing Pluto, the tricky minx. But I'll nab her eventually."

"What do you want with us," SailorSailor Uranus growls through a grimace, holding her elbow.

Norman quirks an eyebrow, pretending to be amused. "Isn't it obvious? You're in the way of my rise to power – my complete takeover. It is only natural to remove obstacles or _pawns _to put it another way_, wouldn't you say_? You're meddlesome. Trying to work around you all is so tedious..."

"Tedious?" SailorSailor Mars challenges. "We've never even met before!"

"Oh contraire. Maybe_ we_ haven't." His eyes flash with rage, but it calms just as quickly. "I lost my son in the pursuit of power, though his demise was none of my doing. He was killed by a monster long ago, before the nuclear accident. Harry Osborn. Young, spirited, ambitious. He had a rebellious streak but I admired it."

"Where is my husband! Where is Hybrid!" SailorSailor Jupiter shouts.

"Oh. Right. I nearly forgot. You see_ Sean_, or the one whom you call Hybrid, and I have a very special relationship, a most beautiful connection. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it once he wakes up." Norman raises his hand. At the end of the hall, a ninth tube ascends from a compartment in the floor. Hybrid's unconscious form hovers weightlessly inside.

"Sean!" SailorSailor Jupiter screams. She only uses his first name in the most desperate of situations, when her worry worms its way through all sense of duty and protocol. She slams her fist, crackling with Jupiter-born lightning, against the glass. The energy jets back at her and hurls her into the opposite wall. She slides to the floor and sits in a heap.

"You bastard!" SailorSailor Uranus lashes out, turning her anger justly on Norman.

SailorSailor Neptune rounds on him too. "We haven't done anything to you!"

"On the contrary," Norman Osborn recounts, raising a finger to them. He gestures towards Hybrid. "Your Hybrid and the monster who killed my son are one in the same."

The SailorSailors gasp.

Norman folds his hands behind his back, approaching Hybrid's stasis tube. He circles it. "His damage was a little more extensive than yours. He took quite a beating from his twin earlier and he needs more rest. I'll need him in peak physical condition for the special plans in store for him."

"His twin? There is another symbiote?" SailorSailor Mercury weakly asks, her knees still trembling beneath her. Her fight with Doctor Octavius had left her unconscious for a long period of time. It was clear that she had been captured and brought along with the others. When she had finally awakened, the physical state of her team mates let her know that there had been a great battle that she had clearly missed. She looks to Sailor Mars, who is in the tube to her left, silently asking her if what Norman just said is true. The raven-haired Sailor only nods her head once, not wanting to admit it herself.

Norman flashes his eyes toward her and his smile seems to stretch from ear to ear. He waits for SailorSailor Mercury's head to turn back to face him before continuing to talk. "My greatest achievement!. Something that not even you, the great SailorSailor Mercury, the world's smartest person, could do. I played god and created life."

The SailorSailors all gasp collectively. This man is becoming more and more dangerous by the second. SailorSailor Venus instinctively rubs her thigh where she had been impaled by a symbiotic appendage many centuries ago, the memory of the pain still fresh.

"You can create symbiotes?" SailorSailor Venus whispers.

"Not true ones sadly, but close enough," Norman laments as he looks back at Hybrid's floating form. "The untimely death of my son bore some unexpected fruit. When I went to the morgue to claim his body, I discovered a piece of the monster's living skin attempting to bond with my son's body. Harry was of course dead and incapable of sustaining the organism but I was able to harvest it and keep it alive long enough to study it. When the Great Sleep occurred, my experiments on it were interrupted; but luckily, my notes survived inside a vault for me to resume them when I was released from my crystal prison."

He looks back at the SailorSailors and smiles at them again. "The news of what happened in Crystal Tokyo when you lost control of your comrade was quite illuminating. The description of the monster matching perfectly with the organism I found and the report from the sole survivor of the attack that claimed my son… before I killed him for failing to protect him."

He pauses for a second. Norman almost looks like he is enjoying the memory of snapping the man's neck after he told him what happened. It is only for a moment, and then it is gone. Without further hesitation, he continues.

"The release of information about the incident to the general public, by your queen, gave me the final pieces I needed to enact my revenge: A current location and more importantly, a name. Using my expertise in genetic engineering, I created a mirror image of the organism that had, by that point, died from my repeated experiments on it. It is completely self-sustaining and does not require a human body to bond with in order to survive. My symbiote is stronger, tougher and has the added bonus of being immune to heat and fire. Another gift from your queen's reckless honesty and foolish sense of duty to the sheep that follow her."

The SailorSailors' collective blood runs cold with that statement. Fire was the one thing that they had left to battle a symbiote since Usagi Sr. ascended to the title of Neo-Queen Serenity and lost the ability to transform into SailorSailor Moon. With that option now gone, destroying this new symbiote would be next to impossible.

"I finally have the means to avenge my son's death and make the monster responsible and those that harbour it, pay for it in kind.…—" Norman hisses through narrowed eyes.

His attention pans to SailorSailor Jupiter. "… Aand the serendipitous discovery of his _wife_ in the same batch... what a find!" He claps his hands together happily, his demeanor changing instantly. "Maybe I should introduce him to the pain he put my family through. Maybe I should inflict a fraction of the agony I suffered by killing _you_... in front of him."

SailorSailor Venus cannot believe this is happening. She covers her ears. "Stop this!"

"You wouldn't!" SailorSailor Mercury shouts, mustering her courage.

He smirks, "oh, but I would. I watched him do the same to my wife, in a manner of speaking. My wife, fragile thing, couldn't handle it anymore - the tragic loss of our only child, our beloved little boy. Our son. To numb the pain, she took a bottle of sleeping pills, all fifty of them, so she'd never wake up again." He smiles, but the expression holds no mirth. "I think it's only fair, no?"

SailorSailor Mars shakes her head, her eyebrows knitting together in consternation. They had all seen what Hybrid is capable of when he is not controlled by a human soul, but they cannot look at him as a murderer. He is their dear friend – the man who trained and shaped them into the warriors they are today. He was their mentor. And now, he is SailorSailor Jupiter's lover. He is part of their team and just as much a part of their hearts.

"Whatever Hybrid, did, he did for the good of the earth and its people!" She defends.

"From whose perspective?" Osborn spits venomously, "who is to judge what is good and what is not? Now, I have nothing but the splintered remains of my empire. My city. My company. I have to start all over! I think I'm tired of watching _other people_ dictate my life… and decide what is best, right and wrong, good and bad. I think I should start making some decisions of my own. King Endymion and "Neo-Queen" Serenity," he scoffs in disgust, "what does _Neo-Queen_ even mean? _Nothing_, that's what. All their silly notions of equality have made it impossible to achieve my goals and dreams. They have to go."

"Go?" SailorSailor Saturn whispers hoarsely.

SailorSailor Uranus snarls. "What do you mean by that?"

"_Die_, of course," he clarifies with a languid wave. The SailorSailors blanch. "What? It's the only way I can assume my rightful place as ruler of the world. All was going just swimmingly until your little nuclear crisis. Ah, that reminds me. Now that I am without a wife, it might make sense to take another. Or two." Over his shoulder, "What do you say Rei? Minako? The both of you covet fame. I may be able to help you with that. And the fact that you're already so well acquainted will expedite things tremendously." He throws his head back, laughing as he resumes his trek down the aisle and back towards the exit door. SailorSailor Mars and SailorSailor Venus try to keep from heaving the contents of their stomachs onto the walls of their tubes. They exchange repulsed, but worried glances. "Oh," Norman supplies as an afterthought before walking out the door, "I almost forgot. Your little friends stopped by earlier."

"Tera," SailorSailor Jupiter croaks, seized by terror.

"Usagi?!" Mars exclaims, wide eyed.

"Where are they?" SailorSailor Uranus shouts. "What have you done with them?"

"Is that their names? I don't know. There were five or six of them." He flits his hands through the air, dismissing their concerns. "Technicolor insects. I'm not even sure all of them made it out alive. They ran scampering back into the woods with their tails between their legs. Weak, pathetic... my champions made quick work of them. I'll squash them soon enough."

"We'll find them, Jupiter," SailorSailor Mercury assures the quaking mother. She keeps her voice low enough to condense the conversation. SailorSailor Jupiter glances at her, pale as death. SailorSailor Mercury tries at a smile, placing her hand on the glass.

"So those creatures in Crystal Tokyo, you sent them?" SailorSailor Mars infers. "They belong to you?"

Norman seems amused. His eyes dart down to his watch, shaking his sleeve up his wrist. "In a manner of speaking."

"But why?" SailorSailor Mars continues.

Norman rolls his eyes. "To flush you out, of course."

"What did you do to them?" SailorSailor Saturn asks softly, her eyes pregnant with conviction.

"My dear, you've cut me to the quick," Norman remarks, "I'm _helping_ these fine gentlemen. I'll give you an example. Dr. Curt Connors was a medical doctor that lost his arm in Operation: Dessert Storm. Poor chap. A doctor without his arm is a pilot without his eyes. He was working for me at the time. He offered to test a new genetic serum he created to re-grow lost limbs on himself." He meets SailorSailor Uranus' eyes, locking her in place with a glacial leer. "Fascinating things, lizards. They have the ability to regrow their tails and other limbs, if lost. The serum contained lizard DNA, which," he laughs, "had the unfortunate side effect of turning him into a mindless lizard monster." His eyes glide to SailorSailor Mars, "unlike _Morbius_, he can retake human form. I think you're familiar with my pale friend, yes?" SailorSailor Mars shivers at the memory. She can still feel the harrowing effects of meeting the ghostly man's eyes. "Michael Morbius was dying of an extremely rare blood disease." Norman motions to his chest ceremoniously. "He came to me seeking a cure. I used bat DNA to synthesize one for him. His… vampiric identity was yet another unfortunate side effect of my treatments. Only fresh, human blood alleviates his body's constant pain. But you get the picture. My help _did_ save his life. Sadly, the man has a rather picky wife. Whiny wretch… She's not too keen on his makeover. He works for me because only I have the power to cure him."

"That's a lie!" SailorSailor Mars challenges. "The Silver Moon Crystal can cure him! It can cure anything.! Probably all of them.!"

Norman chuckles darkly. "He doesn't know that. And I'll make sure it stays that way. Though, between us, I may or may not be taking my time with the whole cure thing. He's quite useful to me as a vampire. In fact, my mutant zoo has proven to be utterly indispensable to my plans. I don't see any of them slipping their leashes anytime soon."

SailorSailor Saturn folds her hands as though she means to pray. "Those poor people…"

"You're despicable," SailorSailor Venus spits.

"Thank you, SailorSailor Venus." Norman takes a flourishing bow. "You simply must meet them, I'm sure they'd be delighted. They're off tending to other matters now, but I'll bring them by later. Hybrid and I have so much to talk about. Rest up now." Norman Osborn turns on his heel with a poisonous smirk and exits the room, leaving the SailorSailors alone.

"Do you think the young ones are alright?" SailorSailor Neptune asks across the aisle.

"They better be," SailorSailor Uranus replies tersely. "They're our only hope."

SailorSailor Jupiter wraps her arms around her knees. Her eyes swim with tears as she turns to gaze at Hybrid's floating body, undone with the helplessness that swallows her. She wants to reach out and touch him, to be in his arms again, and to hold their daughter.

"Oh Tera…" she whispers as a salty drop slides down her cheek. "Please be safe."

**End of Chapter 8**


	10. Relief and Regret

**Chapter 9 – Relief and Regret**

**"The basis of shame is not some personal mistake of ours, but that this humiliation is seen by everyone." **

**- **_**Milan Kundera**_

The sun's warmth is lost on their grief. They keep to the shadows for fear of the light illuminating their loss, both in battle and in their ranks. They are not ready to face the daylight, not ready to let go.

The young sailors have said nothing to each other since the news of Usagi's demise. Hours have passed in deafening silence. And nowhere is it louder than within the confines of their own frail minds. The incessant pleas and reeling events, looped and lengthy, never stop. Stampeding memories and regrets and wishes and strings of "if onlys", cannot change the truth. And no matter how hard any of them try to find themselves in the wreckage of their failure, they remain lost.

Sailor Pallas cried herself to sleep in Sailor Ceres' arms a little while ago. Tera, huddled against a large redwood, is locked in her cage of guilt and shame. That cage is filling with water, with tears, and she battles the tendrils of guilt that erupt from the surface and lash her wrists to drag her down, to pull her under, and drown her in her sorrow. Though the bars are invisible, they are no less strong, and they are shrinking inward.

Anguish bores down around her. She is suffocating under its weight. Usagi was not only her princess, but her best friend. Her dearest companion. And that fraction of the second that Usagi needed her most, depended on a decision that should have been simple, Tera let her down and paid the ultimate price.

She clutches her hands over her ears to block out the sounds of the elevator plummeting down the shaft. The screeching breaks and the shrieking of the hinges against the tethers grates on her memory. Down and down it goes. She stands once again on the edge of the shaft, surrounded in a shade brighter than blackness, and watches the elevator fall, frozen in place. Stuck. Submerged.

But how can she ask for help, when she could not give it?

Any loss would wound the Sailors. But to lose their leader, the lifeblood of their union, is to lose the very heart of the team… That is crippling and insurmountable. It is a hurtle that cannot be cleared.

This has to be a nightmare. It cannot possibly be real!

Usagi's smile could brighten the bleakest times. Her jokes and giggles, blind faith and optimism, sorely lacking in the rest of them, kept them afloat. Dread looms above and around them. How will they tell her parents – their King and Queen – that their only daughter is… is…

They are so immersed in their grief that they do not notice a rustling in the brush. It grows closer, slinking towards them, steadily eating up the distance. The sun's rays pierce the canopy, obscuring the forest from view. A twig snaps.

Sailors Vesta and Juno surge to their feet, baring their teeth in feral sneers when a silhouette slinks over a massive tree root and ducks under another. Is it another wolf? Anger roars through them, washing their blood in heat and hatred. Whatever it is will bear the brunt of their hurt. The Sailors are not murderous at heart, but the loss of Usagi has warped them – plunged them into a darkness they will never fully emerge from.

The thing, the object of their rage, coughs. A few more steps reveal a slender figure, hunched against a pain in its gut. Sailor Juno's eyes widen. She is the closest. The color gradually spills out of her cheeks and down into her neck. Sailor Vesta gasps. The figure steps into a patch of sunlight.

"Usagi?" Sailor Ceres exclaims, rousing Sailor Pallas instantly. Tera slowly lets her hands drop from her ears, convinced her mind is playing tricks on her. She will not turn to face their visitor. She cannot weather the letdown that would follow a joke so cruel.

Another cough. A pained smile. An attempted wink. "Hi girls. Why the long faces?"

Tera's eyes snap open. She knows that voice. The girls, previously rooted to the floor, rush towards the princess. Sailor Juno is the first to reach her. She embraces Usagi without hesitation, plucking her feet clean off the forest floor. And being that Sailor Juno hugs about as often as Usagi does her schoolwork, it comes as a surprise to them all.

Usagi smiles fondly and hugs her, patting her back. The shock, coupled with a reaction this powerful, tells her exactly what they thought she was. They embrace her, laughing through the tears of relief. They all rejoice, except for Tera who lingers out of reach with wide round eyes, like a doe about to bolt, and stares at Usagi as though she is seeing a ghost.

When Usagi manages to wade out of the tangle of arms, she stares back at her friend. They meet eyes.

"Tera," Usagi says softly. She opens her arms.

Recognition and resignation melts Tera's resolve. Usagi is alive. No thanks to her… But Usagi is alive. Tera staggers forward. Usagi meets her halfway with an embrace only half the strength of her normal iron-hide hugs. She is weak and wounded, but alive. Tera's knees all but buckle beneath her. She shakes, holding back the sobs that threaten her. She cannot speak due to the lump lodged in her throat.

Usagi is alive. No matter how many times Tera repeats that to herself, or how solid the body in her arms feels, she struggles to believe it. Usagi is_ alive_!

Norman Osborn struts back into the room containing the Sailor's nine power dampening tubes. The Sailor warriors watch him closely. He hits a button on the control panel and Hybrid's tube begins to sink back into the floor. He is still unconscious.

"Wait!" Sailor Jupiter screams, pressing her hands against the glass. "Where are you taking him?"

"He'll be waking up soon. We need to have a chat." Norman smiles his oiliest smile. "No girls allowed."

"Doesn't that rule_ you_ out?" Sailor Uranus growls, balling up her fists as though she means to try and put one through the tube's wall.

"What are you going to do to him?" Sailor Mars demands.

Norman drums his heavily ringed fingers against his chin thoughtfully. "I think a better question would be what _won't_ I do to him."

"Please don't hurt him!" Sailor Jupiter begs. "Take me instead! Don't hurt him!"

"My dear young lady, you've cut me to the quick," Norman mocks, pressing a hand over his heart, "I only hurt those who deserve it."

"Hybrid hasn't done anything!" Sailor Jupiter counters, on the verge of tears.

"Granted. Fine," Norman concedes. "Maybe he hasn't. But _Carnage_ has. And I aim to make him pay for it, that red devil, down to the last grimy little detail." He turns on his heel and starts to stride out of the room.

"Just tell me what you want!" Sailor Jupiter exclaims after him.

Norman Osborn pauses. "Justice," he hisses venomously. "For the murder of my son." He faces her. "Shall I tell you _how_ he died, my beloved Harry? Shall I tell you how your husband slaughtered my boy?"

Sailor Jupiter blanches, taking a step back in her tube away from the fanatical gleam in his eyes. Surely, he would be the first to fly the banner of insanity.

"It was mid-November. Manhattan in mid-November is a madhouse. Holiday shopping. All the commercial districts are dressing up their stores in lights. Wrapping the lanterns and the streetlights in tinsel... All glitter and garlands and nonsense."

Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury exchanges wary looks.

Norman continues, "my Harry was working for the government, doing some important, top secret project." Norman flits his hands through the air. "He was always doing things like that. His mother and I never really took it that seriously. We were business people. For all we knew, top secret government initiative was code for "I'm going to meet my girlfriend in Monte Carlo for the weekend." I was a busy man. My wife was a good mother to him. I don't know if that's as solid of an excuse as I'd like it to be for not being more involved in his life."

"That's not our problem," Sailor Uranus sneers.

Norman ignores her. "So, while I was in my office, surrounded by miserable holiday trappings, Harry boarded a plane to Morocco. And he never got off. Not alive, anyway. He liked to drink, my Harry. Not excessively. But he did. Ordering a cocktail on a flight was nothing unusual for him. But somewhere between filling the cup and taking it to his seat, he was poisoned." A vicious smile blooms onto his face. "Bleach and trans-acid, plus a catalyst to hide the smell."

Norman raises his hand and draws invisible circles on his neck to demonstrate.

"Burned clean through his esophagus. You could see his spine through the hole in his throat. Between the scalding flesh and blood, puss and foam, he suffocated. Gurgling. Gasping. The pain must have been unbearable. Excruciating, even. Would you like to know who was on that flight with my Harry?" He approaches Jupiter's tube. "That's right, dear. Your husband."

"Leave her alone!" Sailor Neptune defends.

"And the slaughter didn't stop there." He shakes his head and his smirk begins to grow, "when they landed, Harry's waiting security team was dismembered, ripped apart piece by piece by what one witness could only describe as a _red devil_. A monstrous demon. Unholy. With big blank eyes, pale as death. He said that it saw those men as nothing but prey. Jagged black jaws. A skulking, dripping thing, bent on murder and destruction. Tell me. Does that sound familiar?"

Sailor Jupiter presses her back against the rounded wall of her glass coffin, straining to get as far from Norman as she can. She cannot hear this right now. The transparent material provides no reassurance that there is still something separating them.

Sailor Mercury's eyes dart frantically between the tycoon and her teammate. "Stop it," she pleads.

But Norman is not through, he walks up to her glass cage. The look in his eyes, the facial expression that intensifies it and the predatory gait of which he is walking make him look like some sort of predatory animal.

"After that thing had lapped up the last of the blood from its kills, it leapt into the shadows and vanished. So I've spent the past three hundred years scouring worlds for that fiend, to kindly repay him for his services. Now I have him, and I will do as I please. And I will be damned if some blithering wench of a wife is going to convince me otherwise!"

Norman pounds his fist against the glass of Sailor Jupiter's tube, rattling her to her very foundations. Her legs turn to jelly. Sailor Jupiter slides down to sit in a crevice and hug her knees. The other Sailors gawk, speechless, as he leaves. They have all seen what Hybrid is capable of. But is he truly capable of something so cold, so utterly diabolical. The vision of a young man clawing at his scalding, steaming, throat burns itself into Sailor Jupiter's mind. She trembles.

_Does_ Hybrid actually deserve Norman Osborn's wrath?

Hybrid groans, stirring in his sleep. His eyes flutter open. The darkness makes it impossible to glean his location, but he has the strangest sensation that he is floating. No sooner does he realize that he _is_ floating that whatever suspends him vanishes, dropping his feet to the floor. The cylinder under his boots starts to glow, illuminating his surroundings. He struggles to maintain his balance. The more he looks around, the less he recognizes. It takes him another moment to realize he is encased in some sort of man-sized tube.

He remembers the battle in Crystal Tokyo. His next thought is on Sailor Jupiter. He looks around. Where is she? Where are the other sailors? Is he in some sort of healing facility at Sailor Mercury's hospital? Did they win the fight? _No..._ He remembers the lot of them being corralled into the town square and his body being pitched headlong into the cluster of women after facing off against... against…

Hybrid shudders.

"Bad dream?" says a voice rich with cynicism. He recognizes the tone behind it, but not the face it belongs to. "I didn't know demons could have those."

"Where am I?" Hybrid asks, his brows knitting together skeptically. "Who are you?"

The man in question steps into the dim light, casting sinister shadows across his face. Still, he looks relatively harmless in comparison to the beast Hybrid dealt with recently.

"This, Red Devil, is Judgment Day. And I am God." His voice drops an octave, losing all sense of sincerity. Hybrid knows he is no longer looking at a benevolent man, but a malicious predator. Hatred burns in his eyes. Hybrid musters his strength and mirrors the same unbridled heat.

"Where is Sailor Jupiter?" he snarls.

"Don't you mean your wife?" The man bites back. He starts to circle Hybrid's tube. Hybrid's stomach curdles at the way _wife_ rolls off the man's tongue. He readies his symbiote for transformation and battle. No one is going to stand between him and Sailor Jupiter.

"I wouldn't do that," the man warns. But Hybrid is too beset with rage and worry to pay his warning any mind. His transformation is stopped by a splitting pain in his skin and a hellish ringing in his ears. His body jolts as the energy reserved for his transformation reverses and funnels back into him. Hybrid grits his teeth together, groaning, as he kneels to the pain. He covers his ears. Electric waves roll across the glass of the container around him.

"I warned you," the man says, dismissing Hybrid's discomfort with a wave of his hands.

"Who the hell are you?" Hybrid growls, forcing his bloodshot eyes open.

The man merely smiles at him, his eyes trolling up and down his figure in a diminutive way that makes Hybrid's stomach storm. He eyes him like a possession, like a collector's piece, like some child's toy to use and abuse however he sees fit. It is the first time that Hybrid can remember feeling as though he was not in control of his own destiny, or his own life, for that matter. He swallows hard and words to keep his face expressionless.

"I told you, demon. I am God."

Hybrid grimaces. His mind races back to the long forgotten time. He has not been referred to as a red devil, or anything demonic, for hundreds of years. That tells him enough to assume this man originates from before the Great Sleep.

An old enemy of Sailor Moon's? A disgruntled villain he put in jail?

Oh, but this man is dressed much too sharply to be a common criminal. This is a man who knows how to carry himself – someone practiced in the art of intimidation.

Hybrid is going to have to play his game, at least long enough to get the information he wants. "Have we met before?"

"No," the man says, "but you've met my son."

Following the religious threads weaving their interaction together, Hybrid's lips twist into a contemptuous smirk. "Jesus?"

The man chuckles wryly and shakes a finger at him. "That was good. You're funny."

"You should see me in costume. I'm a real clown," Hybrid sneers.

"Think, red devil. Think back, long ago, before the Great Sleep. Think back to a time of undercover missions and unfortunate casualties." Hybrid barely recalls his time before the Great Sleep. Since it was hundreds of years ago, and factions of it are things he would rather forget, his mind has purposely blotted out a great deal. For the life of him, he has no idea what his captor is referring to… until:

"Remember an airport, a plane, and a drink."

Hybrid freezes, feeling bile rise in the back of his throat. It comes back to him in a series of violent flashes that leave him paralyzed.

His one botched mission. The one time he miscalculated. The one time he had not counted on being detained, or discovered for that matter, after slipping the drugs into Harry Osborn's drink. It was a political assassination, and necessary by all government standards. Harry was young and a part of things young people should stay away from.

Innocent people could have been hurt. Harry Osborn could have been responsible for a slew of horrors too unthinkable to ramble off. The drugs he used were scentless and painless, meant to put the victim to sleep and still their heart in the process. It was peaceful and humane, not unlike the serum delivered to pets when it is time to put them down. For any curious eyes, it would appear he was merely sleeping.

He _had_ to do it in the air, in an enclosed environment far enough away from medical facilities and trained personnel with the power to reverse the drugs.

All went relatively smoothly. All would have been fine if one of the flight attendants had not gone to rouse Harry about a hiccup with his credit card. They had to make an emergency landing due to his condition. No sooner had the wheels touched the ground when the area was swarming with Harry's security team, who had been alerted in flight.

Sean left the flight attendants, pilots, and handful of other passengers alone. He stayed behind for one last glance at Harry's body, just to ensure the job was done properly and his death was irreversible.

_FIRE!_ Echoes the squad captain's call in his memory as the men in uniform filed onto the plane.

They engaged him. They cornered him in the airplane. He _had_ to retaliate them for his own safety. After he returned, he heard rumors that one of the security men had survived and was in a hospital somewhere. But Alistair, would neither confirm nor deny those whispers. Hybrid shudders a little as he thinks about how the Illuminati Council might have cleaned up that potential loose end. If only they had gotten to him first and not Norman; knowing what he now knew about them and their former leader, Edward Ashford.

Clearly, he made a mistake. He made so many mistakes that day. Now that he thinks about it, technically all the innocent people present were witnesses. Would the Illuminati Council have disposed of them too?

His kills were clean, done only at crucial points to limit suffering. The men were armed, dangerous, and intent on killing him. But, by all accounts, Harry's father is right. It was a massacre.

It is a massacre that has haunted his nightmares for a long time. And the worst of it was the way he justified it to himself, because _who would miss some snotty little rich kid who spent his time with terrorists, burning jet fuel, and being an international playboy._

No matter how many times Sean told himself he had to do it after the incident, that the safety of the world's innocent citizens was in jeopardy, it still did not expunge him of the guilt.

Hybrid falters at the man, filling in the missing pieces about his wife and the suffering endured by himself – alone - thereafter. His name is Norman Osborn, and he ran the majority of the western hemisphere before the Great Sleep and the creation of Crystal Tokyo. Norman also fills Hybrid in about the black symbiote he fought and how they were able to synthesize one using his DNA. The creature is a walking monster, an alien devoid of a human soul or host.

The last phrase the man utters before leaving Hybrid alone with his regret and shame chills him to the bone.

"You're going to answer for what you've done, _Sean_, down to the most insignificant detail. I'm going to rip away everything you love. Starting with that precious little girl of yours."

Norman Osborn hears Hybrid's _No! _as nothing more than a muffled shout behind the reinforced steel of the closing door.

**End of Chapter 9**


	11. Lessons Learned

**Chapter 10 – Lessons Learned**

"**It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head." **

**- **_**Sally Kempton**_

The journey back to Crystal Tokyo by way of the transporter is quicker than they remember. It could have everything to do with the fact that each of their little minds is a blur. After a brief team meeting and discussion with Usagi about their next move, the princess told them they should head home, instead of attempting a second battle to free the older warriors. Even though returning is nowhere near as bad as it would be without Usagi, the Sailors still reek of defeat. Smiles are hard to conjure, even amongst themselves.

King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity are thrilled to see their daughter again, regardless of the manner of her return. They embrace her tightly. Serenity mutters sweet words of welcome, overcome with happiness to see her. Endymion's smile speaks volumes and he doesn't need to say anything.

Tera, who looks on from the sidelines, is seized with a spate of longing for her own parents. It is hard to swallow her tears and sobs in her already fragile state. Tera thought she lost her best friend, and in the process of hesitating to save her, she discovered her biggest weakness - the most glaring flaw in her fighting strategy. And now, there is a growing crack in her confidence, quickly yawning into a chasm.

They all go their separate ways after reporting the disastrous results of their mission to their king and queen. There is nothing but sympathy and understanding in their eyes, but the Sailors cannot bring themselves to accept their pity. There is nothing to commemorate their skill, their talent, because up until now they were ready and rearing to go. They were convinced that they were prepared to fight for real. But like many, they learned the hard way that battling in the open air is much different than sparing in an arena.

Three hundred years of training, and for what?

They are examined and treated by a medical team. The royal family offers the young Sailors sanctuary in the palace. The Sailor Quartet accepts their offer, deciding to settle in the basement chambers, the lowest levels of the palace.

Sailor Earth elects to head back to her house, the one she shared with her parents. She needs to be in a familiar environment. She needs to be home, to feel her parent's presence. She needs reassurance from those closest to her, but they are not there. Worse yet, they are beyond her reach in a place she cannot seem to infiltrate. They are depending on her, even at a time when she so desperately depends on them.

The Sailor Quartet settles into the basement, needing to be somewhere dark and secluded. They need to be alone with their thoughts, but they need to be alone together, as an entity. They are a family, almost like a collective consciousness: one being in four bodies. They are inseparable, especially in times of trial. The Sailor Quartet does not have parents per say, or siblings.

They have each other… and that's it.

Sailors Juno, Vesta, Ceres, and Pallas, in their minds, have one purpose and one duty. They exist solely to protect their princess. They exist to safe keep her, to be the four feet of her throne, to be the four facets of her scepter. They almost lost her today. She survived by her own means, not by theirs. Technically, she did not need them. Not in the slightest. Does not their failure underscore their insignificance? Wouldn't she be better without them? She would be no worse off, that has been proven.

It's obvious.

The basement level of the Crystal Palace is a room of relics, a place to put forgotten pieces of lost history and useless items of the present. Confiscated weaponry and ammunition line the walls. Crates filled with miscellaneous items are piled high at the north end of the room. The level just above them, given to the girls as sleeping quarters and properly outfitted with beds and other furnishings, is too well lit, too kind of an atmosphere to bear in the midst of their depression.

Sailor Vesta has no jokes to lift their spirits. Sailor Juno can conjure no pitchy remark to buffer the sullen mood. Sailor Ceres cannot reason her way out of their despair. And Sailor Pallas can find no cause to make a game of the sadness. All their individual strengths are rendered useless by the gravity of their failure.

Formerly, the question was_ what good is a soldier with no one to protect_? Now, the question has changed to _what good is a soldier who cannot protect her charge_?

Surely, the King and Queen not only doubt their training, but the strength of their hearts as well. What does this say about their fealty?

Sailor Juno shoulders the wall while Sailors Ceres and Vesta situate themselves on crates. Sailor Pallas finds a corner and huddles up with her knees against her chest. Their togetherness brings some comfort, some soothing balm to the burning of their souls, but not enough to snuff out the fire.

Perhaps they were better suited for the Dead Moon Circus, a place of trickery and deceit, instead of the vibrant light of justice and peacekeeping. Can villains truly change once they have been tainted? Corrupted?

If there was a time of happiness and cheer, they cannot bring it to mind now. They feel older, wiser, and worse for the wear. Saying anything is futile. They are all thinking the same thing.

None of them are anticipating the burst of light that suddenly blazes to life in the corner closest to Pallas. They watch a silhouette take shape at its center and step out onto the floor. She wields a long slender scepter. She has more poise in her little finger than a white crane has in its entire body. Her long emerald green hair runs down past the dark ruffles of her skirt. They stare in a stupor, wide eyed and breathless, at the Guardian of Time.

"Sailor Pluto," Sailor Juno whispers, coming away from the wall.

They gawk unceremoniously. She smiles knowingly, the way a dotting grandmother might smile at her beloved grandchildren, but without the telling signs of age. The woman does not look a day over twenty five by that could be because of the Silver Moon Crystal's magic or the fact that as the guardian of time, the passage of time has no effect on her. It is evident in her inscrutable face that she has something important to say to them. She knows them, perhaps better than they know themselves. At least, that is what her aura radiates.

The gravity of her presence collides with them. No one has seen Sailor Pluto for hundreds of years, not since she parted from the core group of Sailors to safeguard other parts of the galaxy. The fact that she is here is a statement, a testament, in itself; and it cannot be a coincidence.

Can it?

"Ah, so you do know me," she greets with a congratulatory smirk. She stands like a chapel spire - a radiant vision in the gloom of impurity. She is as mighty as she is beautiful. She is everything they want to be; the Guardian of Time, the ultimate warrior, devoid of attachments and reservations. No regrets. The steadfast soldier, brimming with conviction and duty. The girls glance at one another, awestruck.

What does one say to a living legend? What words can one formulate when perfection pays a visit? In their eyes, she is flawless; and they are hard pressed to envision and scenario that would blemish, even scratch, her reputation.

"Of course we do," Sailor Ceres whispers. "We're-"

"The Sailor Quartet," Sailor Pluto finishes. "I am well aware of that."

"We should inform Neo-Queen Serenity of your arrival, right away!" Sailor Vesta prompts, jumping to her feet as though she is eager to have something to do. But Sailor Pluto has other plans. Her staff changes hands and its glow swells, seeming to roll off the formidable weapon in pulsing waves. The energy washes over them; and, it could be their imagination, their aches and pains are lessened by the mere power of its presence.

"Vesta, Juno, Ceres, and Pallas," she identifies softly, seeking out each girl's eyes in turn. Sailor Pluto does not look away until she certain that each young woman can handle the gravity of what she is going to say to them. "I come with glad tidings, if you care to listen." The girls couldn't move even if they wanted to. Sailor Pluto inclines her chin reverently. Yet, she still maintains an air of compassion, much like a teacher.

"There is a slim margin between victory and defeat, as slim as the difference between a liquid and its frozen state. The difference is but a degree. And there are many forces acting upon the temperature, many outside influences beyond the water's control that contribute to it. But I ask you: when water freezes, or when ice melts, does that mean it has been defeated?" She pauses for effect to let the question soak in. The Sailors exchange puzzled looks, but rapidly come upon the same conclusion.

"No?" They try.

"Precisely. It has merely _changed_. It still retains all it once was along with the new properties. Each defeat changes us as soldiers, but it does not mean we are defeated for good."

"No offence, Sailor Pluto, but we weren't exactly defeated by a slim margin..." Sailor Vesta mumbles, suddenly interested in the floor.

Juno's eyebrows jump up in sullen agreement, "it was a pretty sound thrashing."

"We failed to protect our princess," Sailor Ceres adds.

Sailor Pallas sniffs and rubs her wrist under her nose. "That's our one and only duty. Our one and only purpose."

"Did you do your best?" Sailor Pluto inquires, tilting her head just enough to convey interest. "Did you try your hardest?"

"Yes," they all say eventually.

She nods affirmatively, wearing a proud smile. "Then there was nothing more you could have done."

"No. You're wrong. We could have died," Sailor Juno says tensely. She grits her teeth and suddenly slams her fist into the wall, spidering it with cracks. "I could have died to protect her. I should have... But we didn't. Instead, we ran away."

Sailor Pluto seems unfazed by the outburst. She continues calmly, "What use are you to your princess dead, Sailor? Imagine the state Usagi would be in if she returned alone. You were meant to survive, to regroup, and to retain your ranks. Every storm braved makes us better captains of our souls." She purses her lips. "You have come away from this fight, your first real mission, looking at everything upside down."

"How should we look at it?" Sailor Vesta laments, shifting in place to slump over. "We failed. We couldn't get the older Sailors back. Usagi almost died."

Sailor Pluto outright laughs. The girls look stunned by the show of emotion. Her eyes twinkle with glee, "do you have any idea how many times our Usagi Sr. _almost died_, my dear? I wager I couldn't count them on two hands, let alone one. That risk comes with the job description and she knows that. She trusts you. You are not losers. You are survivors. You have lived to fight another day, and have learned much at little cost. Be thankful."

Sailor Juno scoffs. "I didn't learn anything, other than I'm not fit to—"

Sailor Pallas' hand shoots up into the air. "I did!" she exclaims. "I learned something." Sailor Pallas gradually lets her tiny hand down and smiles timidly, kicking her feet after climbing up on one of the crates. "I learned that I rely too much on illusion, and not enough on my fighting skills. I get tired too quickly when I overuse my tricks."

"Hmm… I learned I need to strategize better, not to barrel into a situation without thinking about it first. Taking on two of those beasts alone and playing lookout at the same time was a bad idea." Sailor Vesta nods to herself.

Sailor Ceres' brows knit together, considering the topic carefully. "I learned that I cannot always rely on my teammates to make all the decisions. I need to make some on my own, and accept whatever comes of it." Sailor Ceres looks to Juno who is standing out of reach with her lips pursed and her arms folded. Sailor Pluto waits patiently, because she already knows the conclusion nudging at her heart.

Sailor Juno huffs. "Oh, _alright_," she mumbles, "I should never underestimate an enemy based on appearance... and I may or may not have a female superiority complex..."

Sailor Vesta chuckles for the first time since their arrival. Their spirits are lifting. She can feel it. Moreover, they are lifting to a higher peak than they hinged on even before their first battle. Sailor Pluto was right. They're growing.

"It's sort of like school," Sailor Pallas remarks thoughtfully, watching the ceiling.

Sailor Vesta jumps down from her crate with her fists at the ready. "And every lesson better prepares us for protecting the princess!"

"If we focus on our strengths, analyze our losses, and see each battle as a new challenge," Sailor Ceres adds, "then we can hone our skills and sharpen our talents, instead of beating ourselves up over what cannot be changed."

"Like a blade with a whetstone," Sailor Juno smirks. Sailor Pluto smirks proudly, observing.

"What are we waiting for?" Sailor Pallas chimes in excitedly.

Sailor Juno strikes a pose. "Let's go get out friends back!"

"Right!" The others echo.

Meanwhile, high above them all, Princess Usagi sits in the axis of the lush garden maze that crowns the Crystal Palace. The colorful foliage does well to obscure her from view, but not to boost her spirits. As the leader, there is so much weight on her shoulders. Everyone is always relying on _her_ and trying to protect _her_. She has to wonder if she is worth it. Can she become the type of leader people _should_ protect?

How would it feel to have someone die for her?

She doesn't want that. Not ever.

How backwards is it that a princess' duty is to protect her people, and her people's duty is to risk their lives for her? It's all wrong. How can she balance out expectations like that? That is how it has always been done, and she knows that. But is she worth the sacrifice as their future leader? Currently, her responsibility as a leader extends as far as her teammates and fellow Sailors. But what will happen when she is expected to assume the safeguarding of the rest of the planet?

Seated on an ornately fashioned concrete bench, Usagi pulls her knees closer to her chest.

"I'm just not cut out for this princess thing," she mumbles, trying to keep the tears in her eyes out of her tone.

"According to whom?" Asks a familiar voice. Usagi quickly wipes her cheeks with her wrist.

"Hi mama," Usagi mutters. She shakes her head and resumes sulking. "Me," she quips. "I'm not a good leader. I trained for three hundred years, and for what? I couldn't save our friends. I couldn't even win the battle. And everyone was so scared when I was gone..."

"They may have won the battle, sweetheart, but not the war." Serenity crosses over the pathway, the folds of her white gown whispering over the stones, and seats herself next to Usagi.

Usagi resists the urge to hug her mother. "I'm too afraid to fight again. What if I say the wrong thing? Give the wrong orders? Someone is going to get hurt."

"Ah," Serenity remarks. "And it will be all, your fault, is that it?"

Usagi nods, sniffing.

Serenity shakes her head fondly. "Shouldering responsibility is part of being an incredible leader. But you may shoulder a little too much responsibility, my love."

Usagi looks up. "What do you mean?"

"You forget to take into account that Tera, Vesta, Juno, Pallas, and Ceres do not serve and protect you because they _have _to. They do it because they _want_ to. You may be their Princess, but you are also their close companion. For them, it is more a matter of love than duty. And getting hurt in the pursuit of protecting a loved one, trust me, is well worth it. To deny them that opportunity is cruel." She chuckles. "Plus," the Neo-Queen continues with a twinkle in her eyes, "I highly doubt you could stop them even if you wanted to."

Usagi frowns. Her mother is right. What does that say about her leadership capabilities? If she ordered them not to protect her, would they listen? How can she be a leader and a friend at the same time?

"But what about when I have to lead the rest of the world? The _whole_ world… If I can't even defend my teammates, how do I know I can rule earth? You and father have created such a beautiful place. How do I know I can handle the responsibility of keeping everyone safe and united when you're-?" Usagi cannot bring herself to finish. She idolizes her parents. Talking about their future demise makes it too real. The last thing Usagi wants to do is disappoint her mother and father, especially considering their openly high expectations.

Serenity turns her head and smiles at her daughter, beholding her like a precious gem. "People do not follow you because of your title, Usagi. They follow you because of your heart. They need you, not because of where you sit or stand, but what you stand for. You are goodness and truth. You are happiness and light. You symbolize virtue and courage. You are a beacon of hope, especially in the wilds of this world where light is so limited. You could prepare for a thousand years, but the true test of leadership will only come when the danger is real and you are caught unawares. What you need to lead, you've had since birth. And by anyone's measurement, especially one who has been in the same predicament many times over, you passed the true test."

"But—" Usagi tries to interject.

Queen Serenity holds up her finger, effectively cutting her off. "Your team is alive and well. You found where the other Sailors are being held captive. You confronted the enemy and did not back down until you had to. You have done well, my little princess. Now, tell your toughest critic to give it a rest. We're very proud of you, of all of you, and so grateful to have you here to tell you so." Serenity reaches out and hooks a strand of hair behind Usagi's ear. "To lead those you love, follow your heart. Your good heart will lead _you_ in the way of the light. And the light, darling, is always victorious in the end."

Usagi's eyes swim with tears. Her lower lip quivers when she tries to smile. She throws her arms around her mother's waist and clings to her for dear life. Serenity strokes her head, cradling her fingers through her hair.

"Thanks, mama," Usagi sniffles.

Tera clutches the picture frame tightly against her chest, only an ounce or two from potentially cracking the glass. She is sitting in the middle of her bed, in the midst of what was once a comforting space. Now it brings only haunting memories. She knows they cannot hear her, but that does not stop her from apologizing over and over into the empty air.

She trembles, fighting sobs.

Tera is not a fragile person, but the events of yesterday, coupled with nearly losing Usagi, were enough to melt her resolve. She wishes her parents were here. She wants to crawl into her father's lap and curl up like a toddler. She wants to spend every evening cooking with her mother again. She wants some semblance of normalcy, a reminder that she is not alone.

Her symbiote separates her from her friends in a way. It makes her different. The union of Hybrid and Sailor Jupiter was always so reassuring that differences didn't matter, but they're not here now. Tera wants life to return to the way it was, before the real danger and the real battles started.

Admitting that to herself is a stone in her stomach.

Wasn't she the one gunning for real field tests? Pushing for action? Certain of their abilities as Sailors? How did she manage to emerge the inverted image of her former self?

After almost seeing the black symbiote a second time up close and personal, Tera is half convinced that her symbiote is not a part of her at all, but a separate monster waiting to pounce. And now she's at home, alone, with it. She can practically feel it watching her, stalking her, waiting for the right moment to strike. She has to block it out. She will never let that side see the light of day.

Tera is seconds away from vowing never to fight again when two fluffy friends leap up from the ground outside onto the window sill behind her. Luna and Artemis exchange wary glances after seeing her is such distress. The girl is utterly distraught, so much so that they are not convinced she even heard them arrive.

Luna gracefully slinks down from the window and onto the coverlet of Tera's bed. Her tiny paws sink into the well cushioned surface.

"Tera," she prompts authoritatively. Tera, startled, wipes her eyes, immediately hiding her face. Tera shakes her head and buries her face in her knees.

"Go away," she croaks hoarsely.

Luna sputters with indignation. "We will do no such thing," the cat quips, leveling Tera with one of her concerned half scowls.

Luna looks up to the window sill at Artemis who sits back on his haunches with worry brimming in his big blue eyes. Luna has never been one for sentimental moments. Even during her time with the young neo-queen, she was always rather crass and sarcastic with her. That was what Usagi Sr. needed. Now, with Tera, she is not so sure her normal tactics would work as effectively.

Luna has to assume that it is the absence of Tera's mother and father that has her so upset; until Tera clenches her fists so hard that her nails bite into her palms.

"I froze when I saw it," Tera bursts out tearfully. "It was my job to battle it, to defeat it, and I just _stood_ there. I stood there like a child, like a baby. I stood there and watched Usagi almost… almost…" She can't finish. She shakes her head and sobs into her knees. "I don't even know if I really saw even it, or if it was just a stupid shadow."

Luna creeps closer, carefully. "Saw what?" she pushes.

"Th - the black symbiote, the one who l-l-looks like my father! The m-m-monster who looks like _me_!" She chokes, "that th - _thing_!" she sobs, on the verge of going hysterical. Whatever dam that was holding her together has ruptured. "That awful, ugly thing! That thing that could t - take over m-m-me. That thing that made my father k - kill all those p - people. It's in m-m-me too. If I u-u-use it… I cou - could—" Her voice stutters as she breathes rapidly, unable to still the quivering of her lungs.

Luna sighs sadly, her brows lifting at the center. What a horrible predicament…

She prays she will know what to say and the right words to say it with will come to her. She catches a glimpse of the photograph clutched against Tera's chest and suddenly she knows exactly where to start.

Luna sits down. She paws at Tera's leg to get her attention. "You know, Tera… your father locked himself up and wanted to be forgotten by the people of this kingdom for the crimes he committed."

"That's right," Artemis chimes in, "but do you know why he came out and struggled for years to rebuild his honor and trust of the people?" Tera sniffs and shakes her head, hardly invested in the conversation at the moment. She's too busy wallowing in her own misery.

Luna answers for her, "it was _you_, Tera. Your mother showed him a picture of you and the paternal love he had for you convinced him that he needed to accept what he was so that he could be there to raise you and defend the kingdom."

Artemis smiles sympathetically. "You can't change who you are physically, but you can become something greater by your actions and your belief in both yourself and others."

Tera peeks over her knees, eyeing Luna and Artemis with shimmering watery eyes. "Really?" She chokes. "H - he did that?" She inhales sharply, her breathing staggered.

Luna nods, "and he would do it again in a heartbeat."

"But I'm different," Tera croaks, rubbing the heel of her palm into her dripping cheek. "I'm different from all my friends. I'm the only one like this. I'm part alien. You saw what happened at the party back then… Won't they start looking at me differently if I use my symbiote?"

"So are we, Tera," Luna says with a secretive smile.

"We're aliens too," Artemis clarifies. "There are no other cats like us on Earth. We have each other, sure, but that's still only two in the entire world. If anyone understands what it's like to be different, we do." Luna inclines her chin and puffs out her chest proudly.

Tera sniffles, looking at them with newfound affection. "I n – never thought of that before." She manages what she can of a smile.

"You were made from the union of two extraordinary people, Tera," Artemis explains. "Your parents are wonderful from every angle. So are you."

"And every piece of you is also part of them," Luna adds. "You must accept yourself, like your father did."

Tera hugs her knees tighter. She grits her teeth together. "Why?"

Luna inclines her chin, "because you cannot be fighting two battles at once, especially when one of them is internal. Your father understood this. The symbiote is a gift from him. Even if you never acknowledge it, it is still there as surely as the dark side of the moon is ever present and not seen. He knows how to wield it, therefore you will too. It is a tool of great power. With it will come great responsibility. Find the balance between human and alien and you will achieve peace enough to wage the wars that must be fought, to help the friends who need you, to defend a kingdom worth fighting for."

Tera whimpers and sniffs, blowing her nose for the umpteenth time and dropping the tissue into the growing pile at her feet.

"And for heaven sake," the cat exclaims, "stop being such a crybaby!" To her surprise, Tera chuckles, light gradually reappearing in her eyes. Luna smiles dutifully and stomps her paw against the comforter. "Get out there and kick some monster-!"

She is interrupted by a knock at the door. Wiping her eyes and dumping the wads of used tissue into the waste basket, Tera slides out of bed and goes to answer it. Both cats follow at her heels. She opens the door. Usagi and the Sailor Quartet stand before her. She meets each of their eyes in turn, landing last on Usagi's. The princess smiles, reaches out, and takes her hand. Her touch floods Tera with confidence. Luna and Artemis' words resonate with her. Her father would want this.

"Ready for round two, T?" Sailor Juno asks, cracking her knuckles.

Tera nods, mustering more resolve at the conclusion of the motion. "More than ever."

"Then let's go and get your parents!" Usagi agrees.

"The rest of the Sailors are counting on us," Tera adds. "We're going to do whatever it takes to rescue them this time!"

Usagi beams triumphantly and Tera feels as though they have already won. "Right!" The princess proclaims. "Let's do our best, everyone!" They nod.

**End of Chapter 10**


	12. Fighting Together as One

**Chapter 11 – Fighting Together as One**

**All through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Always."**

**-**_** Gandhi**_

The young sailors file into the throne room, led by their precious princess. King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity watch them from the dais with secretive smiles and newfound admiration, not wanting to breach protocol by jumping for joy, but unable to hide their pride as parents. Overcoming the defeat at Oscorp and their own personal crises took great courage and determination on the part of the young Sailors and they both know it.

A sound defeat is never easy to recover from, let alone rebound and try again.

The King rises, offering his open hand to Serenity. She lays her hand on top of his and stands so they may address their visitors.

"Have you reached a consensus?" the Queen asks. Princess Usagi blinks, slightly taken aback by the question. Serenity tries not to smile, watching her daughter struggle with the unfamiliar wording. "Have you made a decision?" she clarifies. The girls exchange glances, searching for reassurance in each other's eyes. When it is clear that all of them are still in agreement, Usagi faces her mother.

"We have," she states stridently.

"And?" The King asks, inclining his chin. Serenity watches him from the corner of her eye. Endymion has always excelled at acting regal and maintaining decorum, even in his school days, which seems like another lifetime now.

"We're going back to New York to rescue our friends," Usagi continues, closing her hand into a determined fist.

Serenity squeezes Endymion's hand, but not hard enough to be noticed. She nods approvingly. "We are happy to hear it. Remember to trust each other and trust your hearts. You have all the power you need, if you dare to seek it."

"Good luck, Sailors. And may the Silver Crystal protect you," Endymion says. "Remember your training, but don't forget about your instincts," he adds, "when it comes down to the wire, they may serve you better than textbook knowledge ever could."

The young Sailors bow to them, tucking their words of farewell into the safest pocket of their hearts. They turn to leave as a group.

"Before you go," the Queen prompts musically. "I must tell you one more thing."

The Sailors find themselves once again in the forest that was once Central Park. The girls huddle around Usagi as the princess stoops down over a clear patch of earth to diagram their plan of attack. It was a strategy that Sailor Uranus had done many times during her training sessions with them when a visual prop was needed.

"Ok girls. Listen up. Here's what we're going to do." She starts to sketch a rough layout of Oscorp into the dirt, using a twig. After all, it would be a shame to dirty her gloves before the real fighting starts.

Usagi indicates three separate entrances into the building with Xs. She discovered them during their first battle, and her prolonged stay after the elevator incident. Usagi suggests that they use these entrances in pairs, as not to give the enemy the chance to corral them all at once. It might also give them the element of surprise. Using the same strategy would make them predictable, and that is the last thing they want to be. If the main entrance is blocked, at least the others might get through unhindered and unharmed.

When it comes to actually engaging their opponents, Usagi suggests they try the same partner strategy, so long as their numbers provide for it. Unity is essential. They need to fight as one. Putting down one monster with two Sailors will be infinitely easier than one on one matches. Doubling up amplifies their powers, efficiency, and stacks the odds slightly more in their favor. They all knew, that in this battle, they would take any advantage that they could.

They aren't up against simulations anymore and they aren't being scored as individuals, like they might have been in class or training. Time to shelve the pride and take out the teamwork!

The streets are just as eerie and deserted as they remember. If there are people here, they have mastered stealth. Their overlord has monsters at his disposal. The sailors can imagine that drawing attention is the last thing residents want. The girls split off when they reach Oscorp, Sailor Ceres and Sailor Vesta, Sailor Moon and Sailor Earth, and Sailor Juno and Sailor Pallas breaking away together to find the main entrance and side service doors. They all expect to be confronted immediately by one or more of Doctor Octavius' minions.

Curiously, they arrive to find the building… empty.

They reunite in the lobby, keeping a weathered eye out for any movement in this hostile environment. Last time, this place was crawling with critters and alive with action. Where are the patrols? The guards? Why haven't they been intercepted? Something isn't right here.

Sailor Ceres uses Mini Crystal to scan the floors for a laser matrix, or anything that could trigger an alarm and alert the enemy of their presence. She finds nothing. Usagi and Tera exchange worried looks.

Have the villains relocated? Did they take the older Sailors with them? The building broods around them, quiet and gloomy and lifeless as a tomb. The last thing the girls want to see this as is a relief, but it does mitigate some of their anxiety. Maybe the fight will be postponed.

They decide to press on and investigate. If Doctor Octavius and his goons did pick up and move, maybe they left some clues behind to point the way. Oscorp's elevator is still out of commission, which comes as no surprise. There was also the fact that none of them would be able to get Usagi into an elevator for all of the candy in the world after what happened, even if it was in working order. They all elect to take the stairs.

They file up the steps, climbing four flights before they emerge onto a carpeted landing that yawns out, covered by a beautiful rug. They only just round the corner down the corridor when there is a voice up ahead. It is low and muffled, an unintelligible rumbling at this distance, but it is there. The anxiety surges back to them. Their nerves tingle with anticipation.

Usagi whirls towards the girls and presses her finger tightly against her lips. They nod gravely. Usagi creeps forward. The other Sailors follow her lead.

Up ahead, they find a door slightly ajar. It is only open enough to expose a fraction of the scene beyond. Inside, a meeting appears to be taking place. The villains have not relocated at all. They are still here, and as sinister as ever. All of them appear to be present, Tera notes, with the important exception of the Black Symbiote, and the source of her self-doubt. There is one person that they don't recognize. There was an older man who physically looked like he was in his fifties before the Silver Moon Crystal slowed his aging down to nil. He was wearing a very nice business suit and tie. From the way he moved around the room and the other villains looked at him, it became clear that he was the one that controlled them and not Doctor Octavius as they had originally thought. Each of the girls' lips tightened into a thin line as they realized that they had another person to contend with in the coming battle.

"It's time we proceed with phase two," Norman Osborn explains, casually circling the table.

"Uh..." a deep voice stutters, sounding as though formulating words is a task too large for his mind, "what's phase two again, boss?" It must be that huge man dressed like a rhino.

Norman rolls his eyes. "The assassination of the royal family, you brainless lummox." The Sailors stifle a collective gasp. Usagi blanches. They are talking about killing her parents! Norman is not finished though. "With their precious Neo-Queen gone, the people of Earth will need a new leader. They will cry for order. And I will be there to answer… and fill those shoes."

The Sailors hear snickering. They are able to tell that one of the ones laughing is the vulture with his birdlike wheezing. The Lizard beside him only hisses. It's Scorpion's turn to make a comment. "Didn't know you was into lady's shoes, boss." This is followed by the sharp sound of a slap. The snickering stops. The girls cringe reflexively.

"And what about those other Sailors?" Asks a voice like dark velvet, most likely belonging to the vampire of the group. Morbius, seated with his back to the door, languidly brushes a long tress of black hair over his shoulder.

Norman flits his hands through the air and tsks. "They are merely children. They are of no concern to us. Those Technicolor insects could no more stop me than pebbles could stop the tide."

The girls hear rhythmic tapping and it takes them a moment to realize that Morbius is drumming his pale claws against the tabletop. "Granted. How do we know there aren't more where they came from?"

"Back in Crystal Tokyo, you mean?" Norman smirks snidely.

Morbius does not sound convinced. "They could be training many more of those children. And even children, in large enough numbers, are cause for concern."

"Do you doubt my calculations, my leechlike friend?" Norman remarks, letting the backhanded epithet sink in. Morbius does not respond. He does not strike the Sailors as the doubting Thomas type. Is it possible that Morbius is working for Norman, but his heart is not in the job? Norman, satisfied with his effective jab, resumes his path around the table. "The only Sailors we need to fret about are already in custody. You saw how easy it was to defeat their successors. Those brats ran away with their tails between their legs. If they should interfere again, they'll go the way of their soon to be dead rulers."

"Fair enough," Morbius drones, settling back into his chair. He does not say anything else.

"Gentlemen, we are through biding our time!" Norman slams his hands flat against the tabletop. "We will attack Crystal Tokyo head on and take back the power that rightfully belongs to me. To us all!" The Sailors exchange wary glances. He sounds less than sincere about the _us all_ part. "With the absence of their Sailor Soldiers, the city will be quickly overrun. They will have no choice but to surrender to our might."

Morbius settles his cheek on his fist, looking decidedly bored and uninspired even from behind.

"How are we going to get there?" Vulture squawks. He thumbs towards himself. "This airline has a strict No-Rhino policy." Rhino snorts, his eyes blazing with fury. Norman raises his hand, silencing a fight before it starts.

"Mein comrades… the same way as last time, of course." This new voice has a rich German accent. It must be the eight limbed doctor. Doctor Octavius.

Norman rights himself and turns his head enough to take the attention away from himself and lay it on Doctor Octavius. "Doctor Octavius, with the help of a certain Sailor, has kindly reengineered our portable transporter," he explains, "it is self-sustaining now and can be used at the wielder's discretion."

Sailor Ceres looks down at Mini Crystal, reminded of its exceptional capabilities.

The rest of the Sailors exchange horrified glances with one another. Before now, this level of technology had been contained to Crystal Tokyo. There is only one person, one Sailor, who could have given Octavius the secrets necessary to build such a device. Doctor Octavius must have forced the information and process of the device's reconstruction out of Sailor Mercury.

But by what means?

They shudder at the thought. Sailor Mercury would not break easily. They have to rescue their friends! They have to get them home!

"Prepare yourselves, my brothers," Norman advises. He lifts and opens his arms ceremoniously. "This is the eve of our ascension!"

"Stop!" Usagi commands, thrusting the office door open. It slams against the wall with such force that the knob leaves an enormous dent in the wall. The other Sailors fan out behind her, looking just as furious. The Sinister Six jump to their feet, whirling towards Usagi and the gang. "I am the sailor warrior of love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" She crosses her arms, pointing to Norman Osborn.

"And don't forget about us!" Sailor Juno sneers. "Sailor Juno!"

Striking their respective poses, the other girls follow suit. Like their predecessors, they are always in uniform and easy to recognize. Transformations are not necessary. "Sailor Earth!"

"Sailor Vesta!"

"Sailor Ceres!"

"And your favorite, Sailor Pallas!" The smallest of the group makes a peace sign and sticks her tongue out at Norman and his goons. Scorpion cracks the knuckles of his one human hand.

"You!" Norman growls. He thrusts his finger towards them. "Get them!" he roars. "And bring them back to me in pieces!"

From all around the table, the members of the Sinister Seven charge forward at the new arrivals while Norman calmly walks backwards around and out the backdoor of the room, flanked by Doctor Octavius. No doubt they are making their way towards the chamber where the older Sailors are being kept. They know they can't lose their leverage. The girls would have followed them were it not for the five hulking opponents in their way.

Sailor Juno yanks Sailor Moon back just in time to avoid a lethal metal feather from one of The Vulture's wings. "Go!" she commands, pushing her into Tera's arms.

"But!" Sailor Moon starts, rather incensed by the command. Tera has never seen her so ready for a fight. Threatening her parents was a bad move on Norman's part.

"Find the others," Sailor Ceres agrees, standing back to back with Sailor Vesta.

Sailor Vesta nods. "We'll hold them off." They jump apart just as The Lizard's tail comes avalanching down into the floor between them. The other goons begin to spill out into the corridor. The Rhino comes charming right through the wall. Sailor Moon and Sailor Earth turn and bolt down the hallway.

"Ah. We meet again, mon cher," Morbius greets, emerging from the cloud of dust and drywall, his red eyes twinkling in the murky air. His smirk grows into a smile, gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lighting.

"Well, don't look so happy about it," Sailor Juno counters. They dash at one another.

Sailor Pallas jumps up just in time to avoid Scorpion's stabbing tail. She runs down his back and darts between his legs as he spins around. "Na-na-nana-na!" She taunts. She should have seen this last time. Her size and speed give her a distinct advantage over suck giant. He swipes at her with his weighty pincer. She ducks.

Sailor Ceres wheels on The Vulture, who opens his wings and hurls feathers at her. Sailor Ceres dodges the onslaught, letting the feathers sink into the walls. She smirks. Sailor Ceres, an expert illusionist, uses the metallic sheen and reflective properties of his features to project mirror images of herself, casting the illusion that she is in seven different places at once. He balks, suddenly confused.

Sailor Vesta plays jump-rope with The Lizard's tail. The reptile lashes out at her with his claws. She springs up, grabs The Rhino's horn, swings around it, and uses her own momentum to slam her heels into The Lizard's face on the rebound. She swings around to sit across The Rhino's broad shoulders. Enraged, The Rhino starts running about wildly, rearing and roaring and going berserk as he tries to unseat Sailor Vesta. In the process, he narrowly avoids trampling The Lizard, who is half buried in rubble.

"Yee-ha!" Sailor Vesta laughs, throwing up one hand while the other clings to his second horn. She might as well have been riding a bucking bronco.

Sailor Juno parries a slash from Morbius. He blocks a haymaker from her. She lands a kick into his gut and another into his side. He darts out of the way when she launches forward to sink her fist into his face. In a blur, he seizes her ankle, spins around, and hurls her into the farthest wall. She twists her body just in time to land in a crouch, cratering the vertical wall under her feet with the force of the impact.

Morbius, watching from far afield, falters as she raises her head. There are daggers in her eyes, her attention acutely fused with Morbius. There is enough gravity in her stare to level a small town. She suddenly propels herself forward, rocketing into him and wrestling him to the ground.

Sailor Pallas dashes down the corridor, followed by The Scorpion who, if he had the teeth for it, would have been gnashing at her heels. His tail stabs at her, sinking into the floor, the ceiling, and in one instance a window. The tinted windows of Oscorp wreath the entire building, conveniently spanning from floor to ceiling, give the structure its illustrious glossy appearance from the outside. Seeing the opportunity, Sailor Pallas dives through the same broken window and wraps her arms around his tail.

The extra weight yanks the creature off balance and spins him around. He teeters precariously on the edge.

The Scorpion scrambles for purchase, his plated arms pin-wheel, and his scorpion claw clutches the only thing within reach of the support panel. It clamps down, but cannot get a good enough grip, scraping against the metal bar. Using his tail like a rope, Sailor Pallas continues her forward swing, braces for impact, and barrels through the window into the lower floor. She releases his tail as she crashes through the pane, rolling into a crouch while glass rains down around her.

Meanwhile, Scorpion plummets down behind her, on a collision course with the planter in Oscorp's front courtyard far below.

Seven Sailor Ceres' waves coyly at The Vulture. In a fit of rage, The Vulture sends a storm of feathers in every direction, inadvertently exhausting his available supply for the time being. In an effort not to be impaled, the real Sailor Ceres grabs the door into the meeting room, wrenches it off the hinges, and uses it as a shield. Without the original to mimic, her other images flicker and fade. She rights herself and hurls the door at Vulture. The door sails true and sends The Vulture flying through the wall guarding the next room.

Sailor Earth and Sailor Moon have nearly come to the top floor. The highest room of the tallest tower is within reach! A metal tentacle suddenly lashes out and lassos Usagi around the waist. She shrieks. Before the girls have time to react, the mechanical coil yanks her away from Tera, wrapping her up so it pins her arms against her side.

Doctor Octavius steps into the light. He wears his sunglasses and a maniacal smile. Sailor Earth readies herself to engage him and intervene on Usagi's behalf when the dreaded Black Symbiote slinks out of the shadows beside him. Bile rises in the back of her throat. The hair at the base of her neck stands on end. Her hands grow cold and clammy. She takes a breath and holds it in. The moment of truth has arrived.

Sailor Moon will have to hold out for a little while on her own...

The Black Symbiote, curls into a crouch, opens its jaws and roars at her. The force of the sound can be seen rippling through the air towards her. Sailor Earth crosses her arms and holds them in front of her face, bracing her feet against the sonic-impact. It strikes her and pushes her backwards.

It occurs to Tera that although she has seen this villain several times, she has never seen it in action other than the brief battle with her father in front of the ice cream parlour. Its powers are still unfamiliar to her. Luckily, because of her time with her father and the knowledge shared with her about a typical Symbiote's properties, she can anticipate its next move. Hybrid's Symbiote can mimic any item from hammers to razor blades, as though it is the real thing. It can wield any object – become almost any weapon.

But unlike Hybrid, there is nothing human about _this_ Symbiote, aside from the fact that it can stand on two legs. This thing is all savage animal, complete carnal beast. He knows nothing but eat, kill, and sleep. Tera suppresses the urge to shrink away and hide somewhere.

She's going to lose it!

If she wasn't rooted to the floor by her own fear, Tera is half convinced that she would have bolted by now. It is as though she is looking into a mirror and she fights to remain composed. Then, something happens. She remembers her father and the lengths he went in order to surpass his own fears and self-doubt.

He did it for her. She can do it for him! Her mother and father need her!

She can hear Usagi struggling with Doctor Octavius. Her attention flies from her friend back to her stark opponent, dripping with glee at the fear it senses inside her. Its tongue lolls out of its mouth as it grins crookedly. Tera swallows thickly. This is her chance to redeem herself. Usagi needs her and this time, she will be prepared to answer the call of duty. Tera loves Usagi like a sister.

She has to step up and face her fears!

Although she is scared, Tera strikes a fighting pose. The Black Symbiote gathers its strength and charges at her. Tera elects to use her Sailor attacks. Something in the back of her mind tells her that is not the best she can do and it will not be enough, but it is what is most familiar. Maybe she can work her way up from that? Maybe that little voice is wrong and she will be able to defeat the Black Symbiote with only her Sailor powers.

Perhaps she will not have to call upon her inner monster at all!

"Rolling Earthquake!" she calls, thrusting her hands forwards as she calls on her planet power. The earth responds, sending a rippling wave out towards the Black Symbiote. It doesn't even phase him.

Sailor Vesta, barely managing to maintain her hold on The Rhino as he flails about, wraps her legs around the rough hide of his neck, yanking back on his horn to make him raise his chin. If she cuts off his oxygen long enough, he'll pass out. He bellows wildly. She links her heels, bears down with her thighs, and squeezes.

The Rhino's clubbed limbs flail wildly, his eyes bulging as he realizes that it is getting difficult to breathe. Sweat beads on Sailor Vesta's brow, constricting her muscles as tightly as she can.

Sailor Vesta can hear The Lizard charging towards her from behind. She curses under her breath, her mind reeling for some alternative course of action aside from holding on and hoping for the best. She grits her teeth together. What other path can she take? There is none! She cannot let go. This could be her only opportunity to bring The Rhino down. Sailor Vesta sets her teeth, bracing herself.

Behind them, The Lizard opens his jaws and launches up to remove the parasite from The Rhino's back when something red and rounded is pitched at his head from the adjoining hallway. It crashes into his cheek, fracturing the bone and throwing him off course. He barrels into The Rhino's leg, nearly sending the larger creature sprawling, pirouetting like an impossibly large ballerina.

"Leave her alone, you big meanie!" Sailor Pallas demands, squaring her shoulders.

"Pallas!" Sailor Vesta exclaims breathlessly through gritted teeth, relieved and on the verge of complete exhaustion. Sailor Vesta squeezes her legs with all her might. _A few more seconds. Just a few more seconds! _

Rhino hops and stumbles and staggers, roaring hellaciously.

Sailor Pallas snatches up the fire extinguisher from the floor. It rebounded back to her when it hit its target. The Lizard, now irreversibly distracted from The Rhino's predicament, turns his poisonous leer on her and hisses nefariously. He charges. Sailor Pallas turns the fire extinguisher spout on him. She grins and pulls the trigger.

Sailor Juno lands a roundhouse kick into Morbius' face. When he falls, he swipes his foot out, catching her by the heel. She topples over. She lashes out with another kick, snapping his face aside, surrounded by writhing ribbons of black hair. He snarls and springs on top of her. The earth starts to quake thunderously. They both look up just in time to see Rhino hoping towards them, and falling fast.

Sailor Juno shoves Morbius off of her and into The Rhino's path. Morbius shrieks and shields himself just as an unconscious Rhino falls on top of him and clean through the floor. Sailor Vesta uncoils herself from the monster's neck and leaps up just in time to nab the ledge of the busted floor and cling for dear life. Sailor Juno seizes her wrist an instant before she loses her grasp. They smile at one another.

Sailor Juno hauls Sailor Vesta up over the edge of the chasm. They turn to watch Rhino plummet through floor after floor, burying Morbius under a sea of masonry and muscular hide.

Sailor Moon's scream tears Sailor Earth's attention from the battle for a split second. It proves to be a split second too long. She fights flashbacks. She sees herself standing over the elevator shaft again, floundering in pitch, and watching the plummeting elevator. The Black Symbiote seizes her with one of its tentacles, plucking her feet from the floor and reeling her in like a fish. It brings her close enough that when it opens its jagged jaws to roar in her face, she can smell its fetid breath. It pulls her close, too close. Panic and anger swell up inside of her.

He means to bite her face off!

Sailor Earth shuts her eyes tightly. Time seems to slow down.

_You cannot fight two battles at once,_ Luna's voice echoes in her head_, especially when one of them is internal. Your father understood this. The Symbiote is a gift from him. Even if you never acknowledge it, it is still there as surely as the dark side of the moon is ever present and not seen. He knows how to wield it, therefore you will too. It is a tool of great power. With it will come great responsibility. Find the balance between human and alien and you will achieve peace enough to wage the wars that must be fought, to help the friends who need you, to defend a kingdom worth fighting for._

_Luna…_

It's time. She will learn from her parents, and her companions, to shape her future!

_I need your help,_ she admits to herself, speaking to the symbiote. For the first time since her surprise party, Tera allows the monster waiting within her depths to surge to the surface. She cedes her control and the resulting feeling of floating, of sharing her body with something ten times stronger, is the scariest and most empowering sensation she has ever experienced.

Green, liquid-like skin bubbles out from her pores and scours her body, quickly cloaking her in forest green. The viscous material solidifies, forming a suit – a green suit, not unlike her father's. Her father's alien, but her mother's Sailor color: the perfect meld of the two.

She sucks in a quick breath before the material creeps up over her face, as though she is half expecting it to suffocate her. But that's not the case at all. When she can no longer hold her breath, she exhales and gasps for air. She can breathe perfectly. Her mouth opens and closes. Her eyes see the same, if not better.

Tera hears Usagi gasp and she cannot bear to look into her face. Not yet.

Tera focuses on finding her center, momentarily leashing the automatic attack instinct. She can hear Artemis this time, as if by magic. _You can't change who you are physically, but you can become something greater by your actions and your belief in both yourself and others. You were made from the union of two extraordinary people, Tera. Your parents are wonderful from every angle. So are you._

_He's right, _she realizes.

For the first time, in more years than she can hope to recount, Tera feels at peace with herself. She knows who she is, and although she looks different, her motives have not changed. She is no longer fighting an internal battle, no longer struggling to suppress something she thought didn't belong. She can focus entirely on kicking this thing's alien ass! Sure, in comparison to the team, one of these things is not like the other.

But in the long run, isn't it better to be unique? She has to be herself. Everyone else is already taken.

_Bring it,_ she thinks to herself, refocusing on her opponent, the creature partially responsible for stealing her family and entirely responsible for her inner turmoil.

Tera opens her mouth and roars back at the Black Symbiote, who shrinks away just slightly, just enough to let her know it is afraid, surprised and confused by the new creature in its coils. Tera's alien body reacts accordingly, tentacles erupt from her body in order to tear out of the Black Symbiote's hold.

The Scorpion, Rhino, and Morbius are down for the count. The Lizard is a snowy white and green "popsicle", thanks to Sailor Pallas' quick thinking with the fire extinguisher.

"Yep," Sailor Pallas says, discarding the empty fire extinguisher with a careless toss over her shoulder. It thumps The Lizard on the head before clattering to the floor. She dusts her hands off. "Just like school." Sailor Moon was right. By working together, the girls achieved more than they ever could have alone.

The Vulture, with his supply of projectiles empty, quickly scrambles for the window and the safety of the open air, ready to retreat from the four very real Sailors. Sailor Vesta sticks her foot out just in time to trip him. He face plants, sliding over the floor to give his nose a nice red rug burn.

"I think it's time you had your wings clipped," Sailor Juno says, gently hitting the flat of the emergency ax against her hand, retrieved from the same glass case in which Sailor Pallas discovered the fire extinguisher. The Vulture is looking none too happy about the idea.

Tera rips herself from the Black Symbiote's tentacles. He lashes out at her. She blocks each of his attacks, finding her speed amplified to levels she has never experienced before. Her body works as a unit. It feels as though something else is puppeteering her, controlling her, pulling strings in her brain before she even knows what she is doing. Something else is protecting her, working with her, as a team.

Both the green and black alien are well matched with speed and agility.

_Fine then. Let's try strength_, Tera says to herself.

Tera calls upon her power of "Symbiotic Avalanche". Dozens of tendrils jut out from her body and burrow into the ground in front of her. The tendrils lift up a huge slab of concrete floor foundation, raises it high, and slams it down on the Black Symbiote, effectively pancaking him against the ground, like a boot crushing an ant. The world shakes violently and pieces of the ceiling rain down around them. Tera holds her breath, watching. The tendrils slither back into the suit, rejoining with her. She feels whole again.

"Tera!" Usagi calls from down the corridor. Tera wheels in her direction. Doctor Octavius stares at Tera with wide, wonderstruck eyes.

"_**Put her down**_," Tera growls. She touches her throat in alarm. Her voice is guttural – a cavernous symphony of growls.

Doctor Octavius collects his wits, bears his teeth, and sends two of his mechanical arms hurtling towards her. Tera dodges the first and severs the second with her hand, which forms what has to be the biggest dagger she has ever seen. The mechanical arm writhes, squirming black inky fluid from the severed cords inside. Doctor Octavius cries out in pain.

Usagi squeals as he drops her, stumbling backwards. Tera is ready to strike again, but the Doctor has other ideas. He turns tail and flees down the corridor. Usagi and Tera meet eyes. Tera dreads what she will see in her princess's gaze. To her astonishment, instead of fear she sees admiration, thankfulness, and respect. This gives her all the courage she needs.

At that moment, the pile of rumble in the center of the hallway begins to move. The Black Symbiote emerges from the debris. It seems dazed. Tera is close enough to touch him. Tera grabs the Symbiote and holds it from behind.

"Usagi!" she roars. "Finish him!"

"Wh- What?" Sailor Moon asks, finding her feet.

"Remember what your mother told us!" Tera shouts. "Finish him!"

_Back in the throne room of the Crystal Palace, "There is one thing that is not in the public records. It is not taught, because doing so would pose a danger to Hybrid and Tera both," Serenity said, "but I think it is something you need to know, especially considering the enemy you are dealing with. Symbiotes have two weaknesses: fire and sound."_

And Tera knows all about Usagi's sonic sound capabilities.

"But—" Usagi starts, venturing a step nearer.

Tera struggles to hold onto the Symbiote. "Do it!"

"I could hurt you!" Usagi screams back, tears flooding her eyes. They are quickly running out of time. Tera cannot hold her counterpart forever.

"You're the only one who can defeat him, Usagi!" Tera hollers back. "Either you take the chance of hurting me, or he _will_ hurt both of us!"

The princess swallows hard. She forces herself to nod, though the action is stiff with regret. She plants her feet, opens her mouth, and begins to scream. The pendants in her hair start glowing. They radiate intense sonic wave lengths at the Symbiotes. Tera digs her heels into the ground, using the Black Symbiote as a shield for herself, holding him in the line of fire.

Their collective assumption was that Norman's symbiote was immune to fire based on their observations during the battle back in Crystal , they were hoping that that same realization did not extend to the other known weakness of symbiotes; intense sound.

The first waves of intense sonic energy struck the struggling combatants. The Black Symbiote's DNA begins to unravel and separate in a horrifying display while Tera's barely manages to hold together. The creature screams and thrashes, the harrowing sounds ripping from its throat. Tera can foresee that those sounds, those awful eerie sounds, will resonate with her darkest nightmares for the rest of her life. The Black Symbiote explodes in a mess of inky ooze. Usagi stops screaming just in time to spare Tera the same fate.

The Sailor Quartet rounds the corner, skidding to a halt at the sight before them. Tera stands in the center of the hallway, in full Symbiote costume. She slowly turns to face her friends, standing at the intersection of both hallways.

"Wow," Sailor Pallas whispers, her eyes alight with wonder.

"Thatta girl," Sailor Vesta congratulates, fighting tears of her own. Tera is flooded with pride.

Sailor Juno strides up and gives Tera a companionable punch in the arm. "I knew you could do it," she says.

Suddenly, a fierce current of electricity flows across the floor. It strikes and paralyzes the Sailors, except Tera. Only her Symbiote skin is able to repel the electric current. She searches frantically for the source of the current, discovering Doctor Octavius on the opposite end of the hall, cradling his gushing limp and pressing his palm against the touchpad of a hidden screen on the wall.

With a feral growl, Tera readies herself to leap towards him. How dare he hurt her friends! But Norman's voice booms over a loudspeaker first.

"So, your Symbiote has saved you from my little trap, has it?" He chuckles, but the sound is not kind. "Very well, let's see if it can save you from my greatest creation. The most deadly enemy the original Sailors ever faced… has finally returned. And he will bring certain death to all of you this time."

A large door slides open from the adjoining hallway and a figure emerges from it. Tera's large white eyes grow bigger and the Sailors on the floor behind her gasp, the sounds cut short by the lingering pain of the electric shock. The red figure looks like Tera, so much like Tera, but he is better built, bigger, and stronger looking. There is a menacing look on his face, one that Tera has never been on the receiving end of.

Tera's symbiotic facemask melts away, down to her neck to form a collar in her symbiotic uniform. Her human face, undone with terror, is awash with white fear.

"No," she chokes.

"Tera," Norman announces, "may I present to you... your father!"

**End of Chapter 11**


	13. The Return of Carnage

**Chapter 12 – The Return of Carnage**

"**The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other."**

**- **_**Mario Puzo**_

Tera's eyes grow to the size of saucers. She can scarcely believe what she is seeing, and no amount of denial or self-soothing will cushion the blow. Hybrid, her own father, stands before her in the full symbiotic suit known as Carnage, ready and rearing for battle. He means to fight her, she just knows it.

His red flesh ripples like viscous, molten candle wax… or an underwater wave rolling towards the shore. She can see his massive chest swell and shrink with each breath. He stares her down through his large white, pupil-less eyes, leering at her like a predator from the brush. Red tendrils surround him, swirling, whipping, and writhing as they hang in mid-air. They sway like snakes preparing to strike. To strike at _her_.

Tera's horror roots her to the floor. She was wrong before, she realizes. The Black Symbiote wasn't her biggest fear. Not quite. Her own father is. And not so much the brawny man in the black and red cape, but the red monster with the jagged jaws – the symbol of everything unpredictable and dangerous about their shared "condition".

This is what she always feared would happen, ever since she first learned of her alien half; that she would lose control like her father did, that she could become the creature that terrorized Crystal Tokyo and resulted in the brutal deaths of dozens of people. She is looking at that same monster, at this very moment. And if her intuition is as spot on as she suspects it is, she is going to have to fight him. Even with the limited facial features on his face, she can tell that he's not looking at her like he knows her, let alone loves her.

It's happening all over again!

"Daddy?" she whispers hoarsely, tempted to reach out towards him.

Norman's voice resounds from the intercom system, interrupting Tera's mental fear-fugue. "Correction. Your_ true_ father: The being that killed my son and will soon kill everyone that you have ever loved, starting with your friends." Usagi and the other Sailors take a collective gasp behind her. Tera shakes her head in disbelief. There is a pause as a chilling silence fills the room, then Norman's voice echoes through it again.

"Carnage," he commands, "bring me the princess of Earth's head!"

Without a word, Carnage leaps into action, barreling towards the collected group of youngsters huddled together on the floor. The Quartet and Usagi are still recovering from the high voltage trap, triggered moments ago by Doctor Octavius. Their bodies' nerves are still paralyzed from the intense electric shock they had experienced. At present, they are unable to intervene or even barely move to safety. The red fiend remains silent as it quickly closes the distance between them and it.

Tera is the only thing that can stand between Carnage and Princess Usagi. She is within reach of her – another chance to redeem herself for letting Usagi slip through her fingers in their first real battle back at the elevator shaft. The only question is, can she do it?

Can she fight her own father?

As Carnage descends on them, his arm morphs into a long broadsword, having every intention of cutting clean through Usagi's neck, like a knife through warm butter. And suddenly, Tera doesn't have a choice anymore. He cranks his arm back and raises the blade. Usagi, still paralyzed by the electric shock of the trap, shuts her eyes and crosses her forearms in front of her face. She cringes so tightly that pain shoots through her teeth. She whimpers, not wanting to see her death lunging at her. She prepares for the pain that is sure to come.

At the last possible second, she doesn't feel the blade, but she hears a loud organic thud like when a fist meets a face or another part of the body. Usagi opens her eyes and sees Tera in full Symbiote form standing above her, blocking the organic sword with one of her own. Tera's green sword extends from her right arm. The swords clash and grind together.

"Dad, stop!" Tera shouts with a defiant scowl, determined to reach him. "Why are you doing this?!"

Carnage remains quiet, staring eerily and not answering her. Instead, he wraps his tendrils around her and both Symbiotes begin to struggle savagely for dominance. He manages to toss Tera aside. She slides across the floor while he wheels on Usagi to finish her off. Tera skids to a stop several yards away.

Without wasting a second, Tera throws her arm out and stretches her limb to grab onto Carnage's raised arm. She stands up, plants her feet, and swings her thick tendril in a full circle. When she mentally commands the symbiote to release its grip, the tendril cracks like a whip and hurls Carnage into one of the exterior walls. He bursts through the wall in a storm of dust and drywall.

Tera chances a glance back at Usagi to gage her condition. Usagi nods stiffly. She will be alright.

The battle continues back and forth, getting progressively more ruthless. Nothing is safe, including the ceiling and the lights lining the hallway. Tera is mostly on the defensive while Carnage is coming at her like a machine, remaining silent the entire time. She cannot hurt her father. Carnage throws a punch. Tera parries. Carnage slashes out with his claws. Tera ducks. At one point, she narrowly avoids a spinning blade that Carnage means to drive into her from overhead.

In the room, at the end of the hallway, Sailor Mercury lifts her forehead from her knees. Her brows knit together and she listens intently. "Do you hear that?" The sounds of the fight have reached the captured older Sailors. They all stand up, except Sailor Mercury, who does not have enough strength to do so. She is too weak from the hours of torture she endured at the hands of Doctor Octavius so he could learn the secrets of Crystal Tokyo's magnificent and highly coveted transporter.

"What is going on?" Sailor Mars asks them, fisting her gloved hands.

"It feels like a battle," Sailor Uranus mutters, her eyes scanning their surroundings.

"It sounds like one too," Sailor Neptune supplies. "In-fighting between Norman and his henchmen perhaps?" Her voice contained a hint of hope. They could use some good news like that right about now.

"Maybe," her lover answers, crossing her arms over her chest and shouldering the glass wall of her tube. She knows better than anyone that they can do nothing from inside these cases. "Doctor Octavius doesn't seem like the type to share power with someone as insane as Norman Osborn. I'd bet my old car that it's them."

Suddenly, one of the exterior walls explodes in a flurry of chunks and a figure comes sailing through it. Some of the older Sailors scream out in surprise. The creature lands in the middle of the pathway between the stasis tubes and skids to a stop. The dust cloud slowly dissipates and settles, allowing them to clearly see the new arrival.

The forest green figure is conscious, but badly hurt. It groans and struggles to get up onto its knees. The Sailors can clearly see it is a Symbiote, but not everyone immediately recognizes who is underneath the alien skin. They have never seen Tera in full form. During her surprise party, she fled the room before the transformation was complete.

The figure pulls her "mask" back down to her neck, winded and gasping for air, chest heaving and sweat beading on her brow. The long brown ponytail flutters from side to side as it is released from the organic mask.

Sailor Jupiter jumps up against the glass of her tube, her hands flat against its surface and fingers splayed. "Tera!" she exclaims in astonishment and alarm.

Tera whirls her way. Joyously, "Mom?!"

"What are you doing here?" Sailor Jupiter persists, on the verge of panicking. "What is going on? Are you ok? Have you seen-?"

Tera doesn't have a chance to answer as the footsteps of someone walking over the broken mortar and debris causes everyone to look back towards the hole Tera just burst through_. Crunch, crunch, crunch. In seemingly no time at all, _Carnage steps into view through the opening in the wall and a cold chill runs through them all. They stare at him with both fear and shock.

Sailor Jupiter's hands fly to her mouth, gripped by a horrible flashback of her and Sean in the field near the outskirts of the city limits, and the ball of energy that altered him so drastically. He has that same indomitable look about him now.

"Sean!?" She shrieks, partially as a plea to help Tera and also searching for some assurance that she is mistaken in her assumption. He couldn't possibly have regressed, could he? All she needs to do is hear his voice, even if it is several octaves lower and more of a snarl than a sentence. However, Carnage makes no move to respond. He doesn't even acknowledge her presence, which is a major red flag.

"Oh god," Sailor Venus whispers, her blue eyes growing twice their normal size. She fights the urge to instinctively touch the spot on her leg where he had impaled her with one of his organic lances, almost killing her. Around her, the others all begin to realize the significance underscoring his lack of interest in Sailor Jupiter: his wife and one true love. Not to mention the fact that he is fighting his daughter: his pride and joy.

Carnage must have been the one who threw Tera through the wall just now. Doesn't he recognize her? Something is drastically wrong!

"Oh, Norman... what have you done?" Sailor Mars chokes out, haunted by the memories of battling the same red faced foe so many years ago.

"… Sean?" Sailor Jupiter's voice is a gravelly shadow of what it once was. Carnage doesn't say anything. He slinks towards Tera with might in his wake and power in his sway. They all know that approach. He is going in for the kill. "No!" Sailor Jupiter shrieks.

Carnage seizes Tera with one of his tendrils, which lashes out and encircles her torso, pinning her arms in place at her sides.

"Sean! Sean, stop! That's our baby! Stop it, she's our baby!" Sailor Jupiter screams at the top of her lungs, beating her fists against the glass. The energy pulsing through the tube's shell crackles against her fists, threatening to backfire on her if she beats much harder. Her cries go unacknowledged.

Tera sets her teeth as Carnage starts to mercilessly beat her with hammer fists and other morphed, blunt objects. The pain is excruciating, but she can do nothing to stop it. He throws her around the room, slamming her body into the walls and other solid objects, with loud bangs and thuds. The older Sailors watch in horror, each trying desperately to escape the tubes so they can help her.

Sailor Mercury, in her weakened state, observes the brutal battle with her face drawn up in extreme concern. Her eyes shimmer with worry. And then, in a fortunate moment of clarity, she notices something, and draws a connection with it to something else. Carnage is not talking at all. If Norman had somehow broken the Silver Moon Crystal's curse on the Red Symbiote, Carnage would be clinically insane. He would be making tasteless jokes and be crazed with glee, absolutely deranged and incoherent of rational thought, especially if he was beating his own daughter to death.

But he isn't any of those things.

The root of this calamity is something entirely different. And if the Silver Moon Crystal's magic is still intact, there is definitely a chance at saving both Sean and Tera. They can all make it out of this, provided fate does not interfere.

Sailor Mercury braces her palms over her ears to lessen the distraction of the battle raging around her. She needs to focus her thoughts as she struggles to recount everything she can remember about Norman Osborn. As a top scientist and inventor, she sometimes read other scientist's papers or works out of personal curiosity and professional development. It is a habit she carries with her from her school days. Being a bookworm does not subside overnight, or over thousands of nights for that matter.

She remembers an article detailing how Norman Osborn is at the top in the fields of genetic engineering, technology, and chemistry. _Chemistry!_ she realizes. That is it! Norman must be controlling Hybrid using some sort of chemical mind-control, like what the American CIA or Russian KGB used to do with sleeper agents. The drug would rewire his brain and dampen his conscience.

Or maybe remove it all together and put the person in some sort of "trance", making them susceptible to other people's orders like in that movie that Usagi had made her watch all those centuries ago. What was it again… The Naked Gun or something?

Gah! That's not important right now! If Tera can give Carnage the run-around long enough for the chemicals to wear off, all could be solved.

Sailor Mercury cups her hands around her mouth so that she will be heard over the din and through the thick glass of the tube. She calls out to Tera. "Tera, he is being manipulated from inside! He is evil because of synthetic drugs! You have to hit him hard or keep him moving until his body burns through the chemicals that are controlling him!"

Light comes back into Tera's eyes. That is wonderful news, compared to what she was expecting. Tera nods her understanding to Sailor Mercury, and turns back to Carnage. Sailor Earth knows she does not have enough strength to play cat and mouse with him. Her father will always outrank her, as far as stamina and endurance are concerned. Instead, another idea dawns on her. _Burns…_ Neo-Queen Serenity's farewell secret, that's the answer!

Symbiotes are vulnerable to fire as well as sound! To extremely high temperatures! And she has just the attack to heat things up!

She thrusts her hands out in front of her and unleashes her "Magma Maelstrom" attack. Energy surges out from her hands and nose-dives down into the floor. It races onward, faster and faster, plunging towards the planet's center. She taps into the very core of the Earth itself, and unleashes a volcano of magma that shoots up, following the path left by her energy, clean through the center of OSCORP.

The fountain erupts from the floor and burns through Carnage's alien skin, due to the super-heated rock. He unleashes a series of hellish, horrendous screams, his stoic demeanour erased by the intense pain his body is experiencing. Tera loses sight of him in the splashing and swirling of red, orange, and white; but keeps it going. She only stops the attack when she sees a humanoid figure collapse to the floor. She quickly ends the attack and the remaining magma sinks back into the Earth, returning to where it came from. As the smoke left over from the onslaught dissipates, she begins to make out a person clothed mostly in human skin lying in the center of the crater created by the heated rock and melted concrete. When she can see them clearly, the person appears to be the father she recognizes once again.

Carnage is weak and hurt, his skin blistering in several areas from the heat and magma, but not completely done. She can already see several red strands of the symbiote starting to reknit themselves. In probably less than a few minutes, Carnage may be whole enough to resume the fight. Tera begins to think quickly as she is unsure if she can release another magma storm without either killing her father or causing the building to collapse underneath them. It was at that point, she notices something. Some of her father's human head is still exposed and Tera sees her chance. She dashes up to him, and using all of her Sailor and symbiote-enhanced strength, cranks her right fist back for a first class hook.

"Sorry Dad…" she says with honest remorse just before nailing him across the jaw.

Carnage spins to the right, instantly knocked unconscious by the force of the blow, and lays motionless on the floor. Tera stands over him, breathing heavy. She feels her body slowly begin to relax as she realizes that it is over and she is the winner.

The sound of crunching drywall and shifting debris draws everyone's attention back to the original hole Tera made when she came crashing through. Usagi and the others, who have recuperated enough from the fierce electric shock trap, carefully creep through the hole in the wall and see the aftermath of the battle within. The room before them is in shambles. Bits and pieces of the wall, shards of broken glass and large pieces of the ceilings are scattered across the floor. The thing that quickly grabs their attention is the massive crater off to one side that looks like an asteroid landed there. In the center of it, they see Tera standing over an adult male. Behind and around them, they see the older Sailors looking at them from within some sort of tubes. They wade through the rest of the debris, noticing that some of the control panels are short circuiting, sparks shoot out from them and the sounds of buzzing and crackling can be heard.

Usagi notices that one of the control panels appears to be left untouched, spared from the brutal battle that clearly just took place. She hastens over to it with the intent and hope of freeing the older Sailors before they lose that opportunity a second time. Her fingers flutter uncertainly over the keypad, eyeing it for some telling sign of which one will work. The last thing she wants to do is inadvertently hit something that could harm her friends or "aunts". The irony of the situation was not lost on her. She finally pushes a button and the tubes open up, with swishing sounds and a faint mist of chilled air, releasing the older Sailors.

Sailor Jupiter rushes towards her daughter, who is kneeling beside her father. The young Sailor is making sure that she didn't hit him too hard. The imperativeness of her actions does not alleviate the guilt that comes afterwards.

"Honey!" Sailor Jupiter breathes, falling to her knees and throwing her arms around Tera. They cling to one another with all the strength they have left.

"Mama…" Tera whispers, closing her eyes as warm tears escape them and slide down her dirty cheeks.

"Oh, my brave, brave girl. I am so proud of you," Sailor Jupiter says as she hugs her daughter. She looks towards the ceiling in a failing attempt to keep her storming emotions in check. "You achieved what you always wanted. You've done it, Tera. You've become a true Sailor warrior." Tera manages to laugh brokenly, the sound rife with relief and pain and happiness.

The lights of the stasis room flicker on and off unreliably. One of them bursts. Sparks rain down around them.

Sailor Jupiter pulls back and cards her fingers through Tera's disheveled brown tresses, pushing them away from her face, dirtied with soot and dust. They smile at one another. Sailor Jupiter beams tearfully, placing her hands on her daughter's cheeks and radiating motherly affection. Tera's mouth opens to say something, but she does not get the opportunity. Their moment of celebration is cut short.

There is one lose end left to tie up.

"How touching," Osborn gushes. They all turn and see Norman standing a short distance away from them, silhouetted against the light streaming in through the broken wall behind him. He is wearing a purple cloak that drapes down to the floor, looking like some sort of ancient Druid. The older Sailors are beset by a harrowing flashback to Aldrich Reid and before him, the being he is to become, the Death Phantom. Sailor Jupiter curls her arms around Tera protectively. Norman sneers. "But you haven't won yet!"

"Give it up Norman," Sailor Mars counters, striking a defensive pose.

Sailor Uranus dips her chin and narrows her eyes. "You have lost."

Sailor Neptune places her hand on Sailor Uranus' arm. She nods to her lover in approval and support. "That's right!"

"All you can do now," Sailor Uranus continues, "is accompany us to stand judgment before Neo-Queen Serenity."

"Looking forward to that," Sailor Venus mutters as she helps Sailor Mercury to her feet, allowing her to lean on her as much as she needs.

Sailor Mercury can hardly keep her head up, but she conjures up a pithy, "Here, here." Then, she coughs.

Osborn shakes his finger and tsks. "Nay, nay. I think not." Norman bears his teeth in a maniacal grin. "The pathetic lackeys you have faced and defeated are nothing compared to me. I have made myself the most powerful being on Earth! Here, let me show you."

"Not good," Sailor Uranus says through gritted teeth. Sailor Mars can feel all the negative energy in the air and the darkness pulsing from Norman's aura, which seems to be multiplying.

"Get back!" Sailor Mars warns, taking Princess Usagi by the upper arm.

The Sailors stagger backwards as Norman immediately grows to a height just north of nine feet tall. His body bulks out and swells, becoming incredibly muscular and impossibly strong. His face changes into that of a goblin with a pointed chin and a pronounced forehead. His hair disappears into his greenish scalp. His teeth grow into sharp fangs and needles. His fingers and toes morph into claws. The little bit of purple cloth that remains around his head now looks more like a cowl than a hood.

"Eew," Sailor Venus protests, wrinkling her nose.

Sailor Uranus flashes a confident grin over her shoulder at Sailor Venus, suppressing a chuckle. She rights herself, squares her shoulders, and cracks her knuckles. "Ok, Sailors, young and old. You ready?"

"You bet your ass!" Sailor Jupiter growls, the metaphorical mother rises her hackles.

"Count us in!" the Sailor Quartet add dutifully.

The rest of the Sailors nod, never taking their eyes off the monstrosity that now loams before them.

"Then let's do it!" Sailor Moon shouts, fisting her hands. She strikes her infamous pose. "I am Princess Usagi, daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity, and the Sailor warrior of love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will right wrongs, stop injustice, and punish evil! And that means you!" She points at Mega-Norman, who twists his lips into an ugly snarl.

All the Sailors assume their individual battles stances behind Usagi, forming a triangle, interspersed with both generations. There is no difference between them now. They have leveled the playing field. The young Sailors have proved their worth and their title as Sailor warriors.

Now, it's time for them to battle side by side to save the planet they all call home!

**End of Chapter 12**


	14. Goblin Moon

**Chapter 13 – Goblin Moon**

**"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." **

**- **_**GK Chesterton**_

The Sailors and Norman Osborn began their stare down. The air surrounding them is thick with tension and apprehension. Each hesitate to make the first move, hoping the other will jump the gun and present an opportunity display their vast stores of power.

Around them, the control panels continue to spark and crackle and surges of electricity roll over them in waves. A few more lights explode above them from the power surges and shorts. The ambient lighting left by the remaining lights lengthens the shadows and in some cases causes a strobe effect. The unreliable lights cast an eerie shroud over the impending battle. It's frightening.

The Sailors ready themselves.

Sailor Uranus brandishes her Space Sword while Sailor Saturn calls forth her Silence Glaive. Tera puts her symbiote mask back on and wills four long, thick tentacles to cleave from her back, making her look like Doctor Octavius with his four mechanical arms. They hover and sway behind her, waiting to strike.

In the deathly and mostly quiet room, the reality of what Norman Osborn has become finally dons on the Sailors.

Sailor Mercury shakes her head. Her voice is barely above an audible whisper when she says, "Norman… what have you done to yourself?" But in the silence of the room, her voice is loud enough to carry. Everyone can hear it. While none of the Sailors turn their faces to acknowledge her, as they want their attention zeroed in on Norman, they are all wondering the same thing as she.

Norman's lipless mouth curls back into a snide sneer. His canary yellow eyes give no indication if there is any humanity left in them or the monstrous body they now belong to. He is forever changed, as though something foul and wicked has taken up permanent roost in his very crux.

"Surely, you didn't think that I wouldn't experiment on myself. I was, and still am, the top genetic engineer in the world. I am the best of the best; and I would never waste my greatest creation on lowly incompetents like Octavius or Scorpion. I am now the most powerful human in the entire world!" His voice is deep and guttural but it still retains the faintest traces of the oily tone that once belonged to the human: Norman Osborn.

"Wrong Norman!" Sailor Moon counters, daring to take a step forward. "You're not human anymore. You are just the monster you truly are!" The other Sailors cannot help but agree with the young princess. It is not unrealistic to think that what Norman has morphed into is simply a reflection of his inner self.

"Yeah. You are one ugly mother–" Sailor Juno starts.

"Enough!" Sailor Uranus interjects stridently, cutting off the young Sailor's curse. She has never been one for banter. Sailor Uranus is about action. She is never happier than when she is fighting, albeit, her time with Sailor Neptune. Barely another second passes before Sailor Uranus charges forward, flanked closely by Sailor Neptune and Saturn.

Norman roars as he pulls his massive arms back to swipe at the approaching Sailors. Behind them, Sailors Mars, Venus, and Jupiter dash forward as the second group ready to attack, after their older counterparts are done. They want to hit Norman like the waves of a rough ocean, hardly giving him time to recover from the first blow before he is struck by the next.

Sailor Mercury, greatly weakened from the torture she sustained at the hands of Doctor Octavius, stays back to protect, the still unconscious, Hybrid from any collateral damage that the battle might bring their way. She grits her teeth together and assumes a defensive stance, trying to will stamina into her trembling legs. Sailor Moon and the others stay back as well; but remain ready to jump in once they see the effect their mentors' assault will have.

They know that they have numbers on their side – three Outer Sailors plus four Inner Sailors and six Next Generation Sailors - for a total of thirteen against one super-powered monster. The odds are in their favor; but they have never fought Osborn in this form before. Should Norman pull some unforeseen trump card and turn to rend them when they are all on the war path, he will win. Plus, if they all attack at once, there is a strong chance that they will get in each other's way and cause more problems than the enormous issue already at hand.

With a fierce slash of her sword, Sailor Uranus slashes a deep wound into Norman's left arm. He roars in rage. A split second later, Sailor Saturn's twin blades make a horizontal gash across Norman's green abdomen, while Sailor Neptune leaps skyward and kicks the giant goblin square in the nose. His head snaps back from the power behind her attack.

All three strikes draw blood. The thick red liquid oozes down his flesh to pool and clump on the floor. Sailor Moon cringes when a splash nearly reaches her and shuffles behind Sailor Vesta just a smidge more.

Immediately, after the three Sailors are clear, the three Inner Sailors attack. Sailor Mars dives between the Green Goblin's legs, sliding across the floor. He clumsily tries to grab at her, quickly realizing that his size is going to make things cumbersome.

Once at his back, Sailor Mars rights herself and spins towards him. Using her many years of martial arts training she acquired as a temple maiden and her formidable Sailor strength, she delivers two perfectly aimed kicks to the back of its knees. Norman drops to his knees, one of his massive hands plant against the ground for support. The world quakes momentarily. They struggle to maintain their footing.

Sailor Venus uses her Love-Me Chain to lasso the creature around the wrist. Osborn uses his free hand to snatch the magical rope, trying to pry it off and free himself. He will rip it if he can. Sailor Venus plants her white knee-high boots, digging her heels into the concrete and countering the effort with her Sailor strength.

Sailor Jupiter uses the opportunity to launch her _Supreme Thunder Dragon_. Her internal rage at the being that threatened her family and caused her husband to almost kill their daughter adds to the power of the attack. The beacon of her headdress is suddenly alive with blue-white lightning. She crosses her arms and thrusts them forward. Long crackling volts of electricity follow her lead, hurtling towards the Goblin and assumes the form of a fearsome dragon.

At the last possible second, Sailor Venus snaps her Love-Me Chain and unravels it from Norman's arm; lest Sailor Jupiter's attack travel along the unbreakable length of it and electrocute her.

The powerful, and seemingly alive surge of, electrical power hits the Goblin in the center of his chest and visibly shocks him, immediately engulfing him in pain. His roars come sporadically.

Sailor Uranus and the others retreat to a safe distance to see what the after effects of their two-prong attack strategy will yield. They have learned from past battles, including the one with Carnage ironically enough, that they can't get too close to an enemy when they don't fully understand its defensive and offensive capabilities yet.

They all take a collective breath and hold it, hoping.

The thick green skin of the creature begins to ripple and pulsate. The wounds inflicted by Sailor Uranus and the others rapidly knit together before closing up entirely, leaving no visible sign or scar behind. It is like he was never hurt at all. The Sailor's morale comes crashing down as they watch Norman heal himself, their hope scattered across the floor with the debris from Tera's battle with Carnage.

The top of Norman's head erupts in a blaze of orange, demonic-looking fire. Almost immediately, the remains of the purple cowl that covered his head are burnt away. Several horns sprout from his scalp and his ears become even more pointed. Sinister talons and claws grow from his nail beds. These additions further add to the goblin visage that Norman's new appearance initially gave.

"Marvelous," Sailor Uranus hisses.

"This is so not good," Sailor Venus laments. Everyone else can't help but concur.

The Sailors closest to him can feel the heat radiating from the blaze emitting from his head. At the risk of being burnt to a crisp, they would have to be careful about physical assaults against the creature now.

They assess their enemy silently. Norman has regenerative capabilities to heal himself, more powerful than their own. This allows any wounds they inflict to be fully healed in seconds or, at worst, a few minutes. Norman is large, but probably slow due to his mass and enormous muscle structure. He has a new defensive capability with the crown of fire in addition to the horns and the claws on both his feet and hands. At the same time, there is still the danger of another offensive tactic that they hadn't seen yet; so they remain focused and alert should their adversary use it.

Maybe, if they can distract him long enough, Sailor Uranus or Saturn could cut his head off with one of their blades. That should nullify his healing factor, since the spinal cord would be severed. It's an old standby, but it works. Sailor Uranus takes inventory of the battle ground. Then, without saying a word, she makes eye contact with everyone. When she has their attention, she performs a series of simple hand gestures – a tap on the side of her head, then a closed fist and elbow driven downwards and finished with a horizontal swipe of her hand with her palm facing the floor.

All of the Sailors immediately recognize her meaning, including the young Sailors. Part of her training lessons with them included segments of learning how to communicate without words so that your opponent wouldn't know what you were planning to do. One of the most important things she impacted on them was to not use obvious signals that their enemies could understand. They needed to develop a language that only they knew, otherwise their opponent would be given a warning and thus be able to counter their strategy.

The Sailors all prepare themselves as Sailor Uranus takes point for the next charge.

Sailor Uranus rushes forward just as the green monster stands back up. He spots her out of the corner of his yellow eyes and swings his massive arm out at her, the intention to bat her away like a common house fly. In response, she rolls underneath it and drives her sword upwards. It sinks to its hilt into the upper part of his arm as it passed over her.

Norman bellows out in pain, cueing the next pair of Sailors to move in. Wielding the Silence Glaive and Aqua Mirror, Sailors Neptune and Saturn blast and slash respectively with their weapons. Both attacks sail true, Saturn's strike cuts across the side of Norman's massive leg, temporarily unbalancing him, while Neptune's _Submarine Reflection_ attack makes his unsteadiness even worse. The goblin tries to collect his bearings, shaken by Neptune's blast and bleeding, but already showing signs of healing.

Sailors Mars, Venus, and Jupiter move in next. Sailor Venus races towards the creature and jumps over him, landing on the floor directly behind. Without wasting any time, she whirls around and throws her Love-Me Chain around his legs. When the chain is secure, she yanks with all her might, causing Norman to come tumbling face first into ground.

Waiting beside the fallen fiend, Sailor Mars scores a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of his head. This is followed immediately by a vicious uppercut from Sailor Jupiter that snaps Norman's head back.

It is now time for Tera and the others to join the fight. Sailor Moon nods to them all. They nod back, wearing determined expressions. The Sailor Quartet huddle together and pool their power, placing their hands on top of each other. They unleash their _Sailor Crystal Arrow_ - a concentrated burst of combined energy that would hopefully blow Norman to pieces.

Meanwhile, Sailor Moon and Tera keep Norman busy while the Quartet powers up. Tera wills her arm into an enormous hammer, stunning him with a strike to the face. Sailor Moon uses her Moon Rod, twirling it like a baton and bringing it above her head to launch her _Moon Scepter Elimination_ attack. Her attack is strong but Norman's thick skin is able to repel most of it. It knocks him back a few feet while burning and bruising his skin, but not much else. It was at this point that, the Quartet finished powering up and launched their attack.

Though battered from the coordinated assault by the Sailors, Norman still manages to recover enough to narrowly miss a direct hit from the Quartet's blast; but he still receive some damage. The blast gazes his arm and ribcage; passing through the open space between them. The Quartet's attack blew away large portions of skin and muscle, giving the Sailors a brief glimpse of the large bones that make up the goblin's body. This gives them confirmation that the attack would have been fatal if it had directly connected. Their enemy is fast and agile, despite his size, they will need to slow him down somehow so he won't be able to dodge their attack again. Norman staggers to his feet, his entire aura awash in fury. The deep flesh wounds on his arm and ribcage are knitting together and will be completely healed in less than two minutes. Sailor Mars senses the heat of his spiritual anger and instinctively takes a step back.

"Watch it!" she warns.

The rage he harbors towards the collection of women boils over.

Norman rears up and stomps his foot against the ground. A seismic tremor surges out from the impact point, knocking the Sailors that are standing off their feet and onto the seat of their skirts. The Sailors that see the tremor coming instinctively leap up to avoid the seismic shock. But at the same time, he stomps his foot and claps his hands together, which results in a powerful sonic boom that races forward in an invisible concussion and catches the airborne sailors in mid-jump. The strike sends them sprawling back across the floor, thudding hard on the surface. They all groan in pain and discomfort.

The Sailors are scattered about, slow to find their feet as the dual attack from the monster has left them all shaken.

Sailor Mercury looks up at Norman and tries to get him to talk hoping, that in his arrogance, he will reveal some sort of clue or hint that they can use to defeat him. Or perhaps she can appeal to the part of him that is still human… if such a thing even still exists.

"Why Norman?" Sailor Mercury poses. "Why have you become consumed with your need for power and dominance? With your intelligence, you could have cured cancer or something equally devastating. You could have made a real difference in the lives of millions of people."

The goblin looks down at her and smirks. The other Sailors are looking up from their respective positions, half listening to the verbal exchange and half planning their next move.

Norman scoffs, "oh please, Sailor Mercury. You want to know why I choose this? Do you really want to know? It's because I don't give a damn about anyone else!" He roars with laughter and opens his arms wide, the enormous limbs nearly span the breadth of the room. "It has been my birthright to lead the sheep of this planet out of the darkness, and now, the silly dream that your precious queen has now put them under." He closes his fists, curling his claws inward. "I will rule this planet and you will never stop me! I have taken your best shots and here I stand while you and your friends lay about at my feet."

Norman then opens his hands and when his fingers stretch out again, two large balls of fire appear above them. They hover and rotate, promising great destruction if he releases them. The intention is clear, he is going to burn them all alive, starting with Sailor Mercury. The girls gasp.

Time is quickly running out for the Sailors, and they all know it. This was the tactic they had been cautiously waiting for. Instinctively, they all knew that Norman could create an endless supply of plasma balls and throw them at them as quickly as the old machine guns of the past. In the enclosed space of the room, they won't be able to dodge these fireballs for long and a direct hit would have them dead to rights on impact.

When you added this to the fact that Norman's new body was allowing him to take large amounts of damage without any real lasting effect, he will be able to outlast them as their strength levels begin to dwindle. They needed to end this battle now..

Suddenly, an idea occurs to Usagi. She remembers when her mother told her stories growing up about her adventures as a Sailor warrior. She recalls the story of how she defeated Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia, so long ago. In that battle, she had combined her power with her four guardians to create the _Sailor Planet Attack_.

It could be possible that she could recreate the same attack with the Quartet.

"Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, Juno …. Come to me!" she calls. The Quartet does not hesitate and they move as fast as they can to where Sailor Moon is situated.

Tera and the others move as well. They can tell Sailor Moon has a plan, or at the very least an idea, and they intend to buy her enough time to enact it. They engage Norman either one at a time or together in groups, breaking his focus on Sailor Mercury.

Sailor Moon explains her idea to the Quartet and they all agree that it's worth a shot.

"Let's do it!" Sailor Vesta exclaims.

"Right," they echo. They join hands and combine their powers together and unleash their most powerful attack: _Pink Ladies Freezing Kiss_. The other Sailors continue to hit and distract Norman, keeping him in place until the very last second for they know that they will not get a second chance. Using the time that her comrades are giving her, Sailor Moon chants the summoning phrase. The Sailor Quartet one at a time, repeat after her.

"Pallas Power!"

"Vesta Power!"

"Juno Power!"

"Ceres Power!"

"Pink Moon Crystal Power!"

Their voices rise as the power compounds. A pink surge of energy erupts from their circle.

"No!" Norman screams.

The attack lands and freezes Norman on contact, encasing him in a block of ice that starts at his feet and rapidly ascends to his head. The fire atop his head freezes as well, showing that his artificial power amounts to less than the combined power of the princess and her guardians. The ice block appears to be solid at first but quickly changes to look brittle, as cracks begin to form along its surface. Sailor Mercury silently theorizes that it could be Norman's increased body temperature melting the ice from within. She knows, as she is sure the others do, that, if Norman is allowed to break out, he will make them all pay for not finishing him off.

"Time to chill out, creep!" Sailor Pallas taunts.

Now, there is the matter of what to do with him.

Norman is not human anymore, if he ever was. He is far too dangerous to leave on Earth… but they know that they can't transport him back to the Palace. Doing so would enable the Neo-Queen to banish him to the Dark Moon, like Aldrich Reid, but not without endangering themselves or the King or Queen. It is too risky of a gamble. They would never put their lives in jeopardy like that. The Queen is too essential to Earth's future.

As if in response to their problem, the cracks are now becoming droplets of water that are bubbling up all around the frozen prison that contains the creature. He will be free in a matter of minutes if they don't do something now! The urgency of the situation is pressing in around them.

"What now?" Sailor Venus asks.

"Mercury, use your_ Shine Aqua Illusion_ to re-enforce the ice," commands a male voice behind Tera and Sailor Mercury.

Tera immediately recognizes it. "Dad?" She whispers, wide eyed.

Her father walks up beside her, in his organic armor and cape. He gives her a small smile, letting her know that he is indeed back. The look in his eyes warms her heart and she feels whole again, despite the large red mark on the side of his face where she punched him. She cringes slightly at the sight of it, but the humor in her father's eyes reassures her. Now, it's fourteen against one; and their one extra addition is going to tip the scale.

Sailor Mercury uses her attack as instructed, trusting in her friend: Hybrid.

The icy water re-freezes the melting ice, fortifying the prison temporarily. Hybrid looks at his daughter and nods towards his hands. Tera watches as his symbiotic armor moves to cover them and then morph into a pair of giant solid square bricks. Tera immediately understands and follows suit by enlarging both of her fists into giant battering rams. They nod to each other and turn towards the gobcicle.

"Goodbye Norman," Tera says.

"Harry is waiting for you," Hybrid adds as they both shoot their appendages forward.

They barrel into the prison and shatter the ice and Norman's body. It explodes into dozens of pieces. The spray of ice shards rains down all around them.

The battle is over. Norman Osborn is dead… and they all made it through alive. Worse for ware, certainly; but alive, and stronger for it. They smile at one another in turn, the tension waning.

"We did it?" Sailor Ceres whispers.

"We did it!" Sailor Moon assures, springing up and down on the balls of her feet, clapping her hands together. "Well done! Good job everyone!"

Tera, Sailor Jupiter, and Hybrid come together for a group hug. It's an embrace that is filled with love and relief that their family is still together despite the horrors they experienced. To Tera, it felt different, but in a good way, as she could on some level feel that her parents were proud of her and what she had become, and were letting her know through this embrace.

After a few seconds of hesitant silence, Sailor Neptune clears her throat. "We should check the building," she suggests, offering a warm smile at Sailor Uranus before scanning the others. Sailor Uranus nods. "Doctor Octavius and the rest of those creeps could still be here and we need to bring them in so they don't hurt anyone."

They all nod back in agreement.

Sailor Moon smiles her trademark grin, squares her shoulders, and thrusts a peace sign forward. "And after that… let's all go home!"

**End of Chapter 13**


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**"In youth, we learn. In age, we understand."**

**- **_**Austrian novelist Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach**_

Crystal Tokyo is decorated for celebration with the finest congregate at the Crystal Place: the crown jewel of their utopia. The reasons behind the festivities was: to both welcome two newly reformed individuals into the community and commemorate the Sailors' victory over their first true enemy in over three centuries.

Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, festooned in clothing befitting their royal status, along with all their Sailor warriors are scattered over the landing atop the ivory staircase. The staircase overlooks the mass of Crystal Tokyo's inhabitants, who stand at the bottom, spilling out over the roads and filling the streets as far as the eye can see, chattering in anticipation. Trumpets sound and the crowd grows quiet.

Sailor Mercury, microphone in hand, addresses the audience with enthusiasm. "Good people of Crystal Tokyo, one and all," she beams, "we are pleased to formally introduce the two newest citizens of Crystal Tokyo… and the latest additions to our medical science team."

Sailor Mercury hands the microphone off to the queen, who practically floats across the stage with a whisper of white fabric. Both Sailor Mercury and Neo-Queen Serenity twist their bodies towards the entrance, lift their arms, and flourish their hand at the snowy white tapestries.

"Welcome, Dr. Curtis Connors and Dr. Michael Morbius!" Neo-Queen Serenity rejoices. King Endymion's chest swells with pride. He steps forward to join his wife and gestures at one the footmen who stands ready with a braided cord in hand. The man nods and pulls.

The tapestries part and the sun overhead seems to brighten for a moment. The gathered mass of people erupt into applause as two figures emerge from the shadows and stride over the floor. Taking center stage, the two former villains turned scientific contributors, raise their hands up and gesture their thanks to the people that welcome them so mercifully into their community.

Sailor Pallas squeals with joy, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The other members of the Quartet give the two men a thumbs-up. Sailor Neptune entangles her arms around Sailor Uranus' arm, leaning her head on her shoulder.

Dr. Connors and Dr. Morbius meet eyes. They exchange lopsided smiles and sighs of relief, looking worn, but better for it. No words are spoken but their conversation is clear as crystal. It has been a long and difficult journey, for both of them, but now they look forward to starting this new chapter of their life and redeeming the mistakes they made in the previous one.

Dr. Connors had once been a military doctor, preforming surgeries and treating injuries to soldiers wounded in combat. He was caught in an explosion that resulted in the necessary amputation of his right arm during one of his tours of duty. To his dismay, he was honorably discharged shortly afterwards. Connors attributed this to the fact that the military did not believe he would continue to be of any value to them with only one arm. And what was he, if he could not be a doctor? Returning home, he became bitter towards the world and could not accept his new life without both of his arms.

Connors turned to alcohol, as a coping mechanism, which eventually drove his wife, Martha, and their son, Billy, away. When the famous scientist and business tycoon, Norman Osborn, approached him about an experimental new treatment that could naturally grow his arm back, and spare him the cold robotic texture of a prosthetic, he jumped at the chance.

Connors found out too late that the "treatment" was really a serum that contained reptile DNA and needed electroshock therapy to activate it. It was an arduous and painful process, one he was not sure was entirely worth it, but he was already in too deep. The end result caused him to turn into a large lizard monster - completely savage and dangerously feral.

Connors could revert back to his human form at will, but his will was tainted by his own poor self-image. Feeling more akin to the monster he could become, instead of the human man he once was, he often preferred the power and completeness of his lizard self.

Norman told him that he needed to do some things for him and in return he would reverse the effects of the formula, making him fully human once again. At the risk of spending eternity with these unfortunate side effects, Connors had no choice but to comply.

Dr. Michael Morbius, on the other hand, had been a brilliant Nobel Prize winning biochemist in his native Greece. When he learned that he had contracted a rare and fatal blood disease, he sought out and tried every known treatment for it, with no success.

Norman Osborn got wind of his plight and approached him, claiming that his medical research team was making big breakthroughs in finding a cure for the blood disease ailing him. He had told him that they had a possible cure, but they needed a subject with the disease to test it. Michael's fear of his own impending death made the decision easy. He volunteered for the procedure, letting his emotions, instead of his common sense, make the choice for him.

The treatment involved the use of bat DNA.

Just like Dr. Connors, the treatment had a large negative result. The side effects of Norman's supposed cure caused him to have to digest blood in order to survive and have a strong aversion to light. He gained the ability to fly, as well as superhuman strength, speed, and healing powers. His once handsome appearance, already affected because of the disease's progression, became hideous. His canine teeth extended into fangs, his nose flattened to appear more like a bat's, and his skin turned chalk-white.

Just like Dr. Connors, Norman forced him to work for him since he was the only one that could reverse what the treatment had done to him. What other choice did he have?

As the applause continues, the original and new sailors joined in. For them, this is the silver lining that has come out of all of the terrible events of the past few weeks, and the horrible reality of what had been occurring before that, right under their protective watch. They have made a pact to be more mindful of the global goings on, instead of strictly focusing on Crystal Tokyo. They had become too content with the lasting peace to look beyond their borders. Now they know that evil, powerful enough to challenge them, could arise at any moment. They will need to be mindful and maybe a little more proactive again, just like when they were disarming the world's weapon supplies and capturing criminals that were harming innocent people. They had become lax in the department recently, due to their belief that their duties were needed elsewhere. The recent events have proven that they need to purge the evil from this planet, in all of its various forms, least another Norman Osborn be allowed to rise again.

When the Sailors had defeated Norman Osborn, and conducted their sweep of the Oscorp building, they found Morbius in the lobby. He was still unconscious after his fall through the building and having the Rhino land on top of him. The Lizard was still frozen from the fire extinguisher attack by Sailor Pallas. They found no sign, not a trace, of Doctor Octavius or any of the others, albeit several damaged plants and flower boxes from when the Scorpion landed after being thrown from one of the top floors.

Sailors Neptune and Uranus were the ones to discover the hidden entrance to the underground laboratories when they searched the basement levels of the building. They and the other Sailors who joined them, after securing their areas of the building, discovered all of Norman's and Doctor Octavius illegal experiments and weapons research. This had included a prototype for a cold fusion battery, which was a direct violation of Neo-Queen Serenity's mandate banning any and all nuclear research and experiments.

Amidst their extensive and thorough search, they discovered Norman's personal files on each of the members of the group they had battled, now referred to as the "Sinister Seven" by Sailor Pallas. They contained the personal histories as well as detailed notes on the serums used on Morbius and the Lizard. It was these documents that allowed them to learn of their tragic histories and influence their decision to try to help them rather than punish them like common criminals.

Using the notes as a guide, Sailor Mercury and her team, were able to reverse-engineer the process and purge the mutated elements from their bodies, freeing them from the curses of their monstrous alter-egos.

In Michael Morbius' case, Sailor Mercury was able to go one step further. She developed a real cure for the blood disease that had been affecting him, using her knowledge of the disease from her tedious studying of medical textbooks. And this cure had nothing to do with bats.

The gentlemen would now be able to lead normal lives, as opposed to ones of blackmail and servitude.

Once they were both fully cured, Neo-Queen Serenity had welcomed the petition by the Sailors to make them members of Sailor Mercury's medical science teams. The petition also asked if they could become full citizens of Crystal Tokyo once they were purified by the Silver Moon Crystal. They were delighted when Neo-Queen Serenity had approved the requests.

As the crowd continues to clap for their newest brothers, Sailor Mars leans towards Sailor Moon. "Where's Tera?" she whispers with mild disapproval. "She's missing the event."

Usagi smiles, but doesn't take her eyes off her mother, standing beside her father, clapping behind the two doctors. "She's training with Hybrid," Usagi answers.

Sailor Mars ponders this silently for a second. She suddenly smiles as she clues in to what Sailor Moon is referring too. "About time," she mutters to herself and resumes clapping.

Many miles away from the Crystal Palace, in ironically the same field where he had lost control of his symbiote due to the involvement of Aldrich Reid, Hybrid stands facing his daughter. Tera is in full symbiote costume, four long whips of green sprout from her back and lie lifelessly on the ground behind her. She, meanwhile, is down on one knee and struggling to catch her breath.

They had just finished a tough mock battle with the purpose of getting Tera more comfortable with her newly embraced symbiote powers. This aspect of herself is strong and, with the proper conditioning, it will only get stronger. The goal of today's exercise, and the ones to come after it, was for her to develop a fighting style that incorporated both her sailor and symbiote powers together. By all accounts, it was successful.

"Very good honey," Hybrid congratulates after he sheaths his sword back into the scabbard around his waist, "you've really improved that last round." Hybrid crosses the grass to Tera and extends his hand in a silent invitation of helping her to her feet. Tera's progress really is remarkable. Hybrid cannot hide the proud grin on his face.

"Thanks Dad," Tera replies as she clasps his hand and pulls herself up. She mentally commands the symbiote to retreat back into her body, leaving her in her sailor uniform. The breeze ruffles the folds of her skirt. They turn around, beginning on the road back towards the city.

"Dad, do you think Usagi, the Quartet, and I will be able to defend this planet when you and mom and the others are gone … like really gone?" Tera wants to know. She wears a look of concern and can only hope her father will alleviate her worries with encouragement. Then again, nothing is a suitable replacement for the truth. Should he not believe so, she expects him to tell her. In that event, they will just have to work harder and strive for the improvement necessary.

Hybrid considers his response in the silence flanking her question. He reaches over and pulls his daughter against his side, his arm drapes around her slender shoulders. She strings her arm around his waist, leaning against him.

"I know you and the others will do your absolute best… and that is all we and you can ever ask of you." They exchange smiles, "your mother and I have raised you to be the strong, confident woman you are today. I have complete faith that the Earth will be in good hands when that time comes."

Tera's eyes well with grateful tears. Her father's words warm her heart and she hugs him tighter.

Thousands of miles away, in the bowels of deep space, a lone spacecraft rockets through the starry expanse. Inside the interstellar vehicle, three men sit as the fourth piloted the craft.

"How much longer is this flight?" Scorpion whines like a petulant child. "It feels like it taking forever!"

Vulture rolls his eyes, the anger vein of his forehead already protruding through the skin. "Quiet Scorpion or I will blast you out of the airlock. Maybe the loss of your useless mass will speed up our voyage!"

"Just try it bird-man!" Scorpion dares with a vicious snarl.

"_Enough_!" Doctor Octavius roars, whirling around in the pilot's seat with a 'don't make me come back there' expression. He fixes his eyes out the windshield again, releases the wheel, and massages his temple. "Your witless bantering is disturbing my focus. Piloting a spacecraft like this takes someone with genius intellect, a factor sorely lacking in all of you, while my tentacles prepare the hyper-sleep chambers. It's doubly hard to do both at once and you're not helping."

"Where are we going, Doc?" Rhino asks in his deep and slightly dumb voice. He is a creature of instinct, not intellect, and it is plain in the brainless droll of his speech. "You said we left Earth to escape those Sailors."

Doctor Octavius really has no choice but to indulge the lug's inanity. It's not his fault his brain isn't directly proportional to his monstrous body. "Correct Rhino. Norman Osborn may have been a toothless worm, but he did have the foresight to plan for every contingency. He created this spacecraft in the event of his defeat so that he would not be captured by those confounded Sailors. I secretly learned of its existence and took it while he distracted them."

"That's pretty smart, boss," Rhino adds, sounding pleased as he settles back into his seat. Doctor Octavius is still surprised that the dwarfish chair has held up so well under his weight, the witless wonder.

"That still doesn't answer the question of where you are taking us," Vulture hisses shrewdly, slouching to convey his boredom.

"We are going to the one place that Neo-Queen Serenity's rule does reach, the tenth planet of our solar system. Norman and my research have shown that it is able to sustain life. We will live there and start our own society." Doctor Octavius chuckles a little, his thick German accent lacing his words with wickedness. "Norman Osborn may have thought of himself as the world's smartest carbon based life form…"

The doctor looks down at the several trays of human blood and tissue samples that he stole from Norman's genetic research laboratory. A snide, contemptuous sneer crawls across his lips. "But even Neanderthals like you three must know that carbon gives birth to diamonds!"

**The End**


End file.
